Diamond in the Rough
by Joseph Kursk
Summary: Amnesia, diamondbending, and the ever conniving Azula combine to form an exciting adventure of action, mystery, and sorrow. The diamondbender is out for answers, and along the way he'll make a new friend, have amusing story cross-overs, and eventually get his shot for revenge. Read to see what happens when stubbornness meets sinister genius. OC centric. Sequel to Diamond Hard.
1. Hunger pains and obscenities

**Chapter****I**

Track her, find her, kill her. That was the plan. It was not elegant or sophisticated but it would work. Jack laughed to himself. Sure it would work, and he would have gotten out of that prison by himself. He shook his head, knowing how stupid the plan was. No workings, no fall backs, not even an articulated goal, just track and kill. He might as well post an add asking for Azula to be at a certain place by herself for a dual to the death so that he could rectify his past.

He clenched his teeth, trying to ward off the biting wind, an obscenity dancing on the tip of his tongue. He fought the temptation for a while longer, trying to not and focus on the pouring rain or howling wind. _I thought it was supposed to be spring_? The thought occurred to him as snow began to descend, slapping him in the face with a bitter bite. Another gust of wind hit him and he swore, thus eliciting another barrage of colorful obscenities that would be a shame to put down on paper. He stomped and curse, turning to a pine next to him and punching it with all his might, afterwards biting his knuckles to calm him down. He could feel the pain throb in his knuckles as they sent the damage assessment to his brain. Most likely he had fractured or sprained something in his fit, but he did not feel like thinking about it, as it would only make him angry again as he had lost his temper. He shook his head.

Why was it that when he was around people it was so easy to behave cordial and with proper decorum, yet when by himself or someone he despised he fell into such a state so that if someone spotted him they might mistake him for being in the middle of a carouse of sorts? He bit down harder on his knuckle, the metallic taste of blood slowly seeping into his mouth. He took his fist out of his mouth, sticking it back in his pocket, though it did not due him much good, as it offered no protection from the cold.

He was soaked to the bone, and probably suffering from the first stages of hypothermia. He had been standing outside on the edge of the forest for hours, waiting for Azula and her cronies to pass by, but nothing had come save the wind and rain, and now snow. Apparently his source had misinformed him, something he would rectify if it were not for the fact that the man was already six feet under. Jack would bend himself some comfort but he was paranoid of Azula, it was as if she had a sixth sense for bending. She could tell when something was up. The change in rain pattern as a barrier was made between him and the rainfall, a small strange earthen mound laying on the edge of the forest, the ceasing of a gust of wind in a particular spot, she noticed those things within an instant, realizing that something was wrong. So, Jack had decided he would have to forgo bending for this little excursion of his, at least at the moment. He could make a fire, but that was obviously the stupidest thing he could do, so he refrained from doing so, instead waiting in the torrential downpour for something that was more than likely not going to happen. He leaned against the pine tree, letting out a sigh. Life sucked.

He tried his best to stay out of the elements, cling to the cover of the pines, and even now and then risking bending himself dry, save for only a moment, but it was starting to be too much, even for his furry. He was not going to stand out her and die of hypothermia while Azula was riding around in some comfy coach or paddy. He would have to give it a try some other time, a time when it was not pouring and, ohh joy, now hailing. He swore again under his breath, drawing back into the forest and throwing his hood up.

He would go back a few hundred yards and make himself a campsite. He bended himself dry then kept himself so, creating a rain umbrella with his waterbending. He marched back into the woods, weaving in and out of the trees. He found a patch of ground he thought suitable and earthbended himself a nice tent, letting the umbrella fall as he stepped underneath it. He puffed a couple of times, a white flame warming his hands. He could not risk a camp fire, but he could still warm himself every now and then with his fire breathe. He leaned back, resting his head against the ground, groaning loudly to himself. Why did this have to be so difficult?

He grabbed his stomach as it growled at him, reminding him once again that he had gone a whole day without eating. Another groan passed from his lips. He was sick of being hungry, he was sick of being cold, and he was sick of hunting Azula. For being a pompous little snob she still knew how to move about discreetly. For six weeks he had been pursuing her, trying to find her, and all he had accomplished was a couple of empty camp sites and one trap that he had narrowly avoided. She knew he was following her, so she was toying with him, goading him on until he committed one fatal flaw that would send him back to the slammer for the rest of his life.

Jack shook his head. He should have stayed with the others, at least then he would have some company and warm food, but no, he had to be all macho and mysterious about it.

"I have to find out who I am." He said to himself in a mocking tone. He slapped himself upside the head.

"Idiot." He muttered. He turned over, throwing the little notebook in his breast pocket against the wall of his cave. It flipped open, revealing a list of names and places, things that appealed to his mind. He reached out a dirty hand and grabbed it, his grimy fingernails smearing the page. Sokka had insisted that he keep a running list of things that popped in his head, no matter how silly it seemed. He thought that it would help him recover his memory quicker, but Jack knew it would not. He did not need it, but just for Sokka's sake he had consented, that way when he runs into them again, if he runs into them again, he can show him the list, thus making him a very happy person.

He closed his eyes, entreating sleep to come to him, but it stayed its healing hand from him. He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but still sleep alluded him. His thoughts were drawn back to Azula, the ways he would make her suffer, the pain and torment he would put her through, then finally the way he would kill her. He would not just stab her in the back or slit her throat in her sleep, no, he wanted it to be personal; he would get up close to her, and try to capture her. If that was not a viable option then he would fight her in open combat, defeat her, then take her life, at least showing then that he was the greater warrior.

A nagging thought came to his mind. Something within him protested against his hatred and vehemence. It urged him to a peaceful resolution, to make amends with Azula and forgive her. He quickly squashed the feeling, burying it deep inside him, just like he did every other time it surfaced. He was not going to be a push over. He was not just going to let it slide. Azula would pay for what she had done, for everything he had lost, he would show her, in the end, he would have the last laugh. He turned to his back, gazing up into the darkness, the drumming of raindrops against the roof echoing in his head. Slowly he drifted off to sleep, bloody and morbid dreams haunting his sleep.

Jack awoke the next morning to the cawing of a bird. He opened his earthen tent only to fry the bird with a white blast of firebending, rolling back over and seeking rest. His growling stomach, however, prevented him from finding sleep, so instead he went over to the bird and cleaned it, roasting the meat the rest of the way and having himself a little breakfast. He ate in silence, no other birds daring to disrupt the serenity around him.

He breathed in deep, the fresh pungent smell of rainfall in his nose. The pines sparkled with the fresh fall of rain. Puddles sat on the ground around him, tiny needles floating on the surface. A soft, crisp, breeze blew through the forest, sending a shiver down Jack's back. He looked up at the sky, dotted with fine, puffy, clouds, glowing white in the morning light. He smiled, at a much better temperament than the night before. That all changed, however, when he went out to the road.

Wheel tracks run through the mud, signaling his failure of patience that marked his missing Azula's convoy. He swore under his breath, cursing his weakness in relenting to the elements. If he had just held on a bit longer he could have caught them as they passed by, but he missed them, thus putting him back almost to square one. Well, not quite.

Jack bent down and looked at the tracks. There was no water in the ruts, thus indicating that they had passed not too long ago, after the rain had already stopped. Perhaps if he started now he could catch up with them. His stomached growled, thus indicating its opinion on the issue of following them.

"I know, I know. If I follow them then I might not be able to find supplies, which I kinda need." His stomach growled again.

"Alright, really need, but that's besides the fact. I can go hungry for a bit longer, but the longer I wait the further away Azula gets. Anyways, I'm sure that her convoy has plenty of dainty morsels to snack on." With his stomach reassured and his confidence rising Jack started to make his way down the path, staying within sight of it at the forest line. He could not see which way they were heading exactly but he had a sense that they were making their way towards Ba Sin Sey. If that was true then that meant that Azula was up to something with the war, and had relinquished her search of both the avatar and himself as well. Jack shook his head.

No, there was no way she would give up. She was still after the avatar, she was just playing a different game. Instead of chasing after the avatar she was going to bring the avatar to her. Attack the last great refuge of the free world and the avatar will show up, seeking to save it. And since she probably already knew that he was tracking her he would wind up on her tail someday, so all she had to do was wait and leave the right bread crumbs. He shook his head again.

"And I'm dumb enough to fall for it." He muttered to himself, continuing his trek towards what was obviously a trap.

As the day waned on the pains in his stomach continued to grow. This was not like going hungry in a prison cell. At least in prison you we not doing anything, just sitting in your cell and feeling yourself slowly fade away. Out here, tracking Azula, Jack could not only feel the hunger pains but also the blurring of his mind. He became dizzy and fatigued, each step a daunting task. He could not focus entirely on what he was doing, no matter how much hatred he could muster. He found himself at times wondering across the path with the tree line a hundred feet to his right. He was losing it, and fast. A week with barely any food in the wild was a whole lot different than a week without food in a prison cell. Aside from the bird he had eaten this morning, mostly skin and bone, he had only been able to snag some berries and nuts, not knowing which plants were edible and not even thinking of digging for roots, as he did not know those were edible. He could hunt, as that was one thing he knew, but that required time and focus that he could just not spare, or muster. So, instead, he continued on the road, hoping that food would fall in his lap sooner or later, least he collapse and die in the mud, an end he did not relish.

As the sun began to set in the sky and night closed in Jack found his way into a village, too hungry to care about Azula or any fire-nation soldiers. He went to the nearest vendor and reached into his pocket, thus realizing that he had no money. He looked at the cabbages longingly, but he could not pay for them. He thanked the vendor and made his way towards a group of houses on the outskirt of the village. The smell of food cooking over a fire made his mouth water. His stomach cried out to him, throwing disparages up to his brain for the dumb decision of tracking down Azula over food. It also made some comment about promised delicacies, but Jack ignored it, wanting to focus on his acquisition of food.

"Shh!" He hissed at his stomach as it once again growled at him. He glared at his stomach, wishing that it would abide his commands, but it continued to growl, as if in direct conflict with his will.

"I won't feed you if you don't knock it off." He said. His stomach quieted down at this, not wanting to risk the chance of missing dinner. Jack smiled.

"That's better." He said, continuing on. While it may seem strange to others that Jack communicated to the other parts of his body if you were in his position, stuck in a prison cell by yourself with no one to talk to for who knows how long, you would probably have acquired a strange habit too. For Jack it helped keep his mind off of the real problems, as long as he had someone, or something, to argue with he could focus on that rather than the agonizing hunger that plagued him or the tormenting pain that passed through his body as he was tortured.

Jack snuck to the back of one of the house, peering into the kitchen. He saw a platter of something steaming resting on the table, no one in site. He made his way to the back door, trying the door knob; unlocked.

He opened the door with a squeak, making his way toward the table, his feet passing over the wooden floor like a ghost. He grabbed the platter, taking a second to think better of it, and instead just grabbed one of the meaty morsels. He could not steal someone's entire dinner; that was just rude.

He turned around, checking to make sure that everything was clear, and made his way back towards the backyard. He stepped outside, closing the door as quietly as its noisy hinges would allow. He breathed out a sigh of relief, making his way towards the fence, biting into the succulent meat as he went. It was hot, and he burnt the top of his mouth, but he did not care. The tender flesh fell apart in his mouth, the sweat juices running down his throat and chin. He smiled to himself, resisting the urge to sigh. Just as he was about to hop the fence, already void of his meat, a pillar of earth shot out of the ground and knocked him to his side. He fell to the ground, catching his breath. He hurriedly rolled and sprang to his feet, facing his attacker.

A girl, perhaps sixteen or so, stood across from him. She was in a simple green dress, the earth nation emblem emblazoned on her chest with brown thread. It was stained and dirty at the sleeves, thus indicating that she was a worker, someone used to cleaning or cooking. Her brown hair was pulled back in a bun, her bangs escaping the net and falling down her smooth face. Her green eyes stared at him, fear dancing about in them.

"What do you think you're doing, stealing from our house?" She said, her hands raised shakily. Jack almost laughed. Had she been the one who had attacked him? He looked about, trying to find anyone else who could have done it, but they were alone. He looked over at the pillar, realizing that it was rather small. Annoyed he scolded himself for being knocked over so easily. He took a step forward.

"Look, I'm sorry about stealing from you, but it was necessary." He said. She jumped back, calling up another pillar. Jack did not bother looking down as he back-handed it, shattering the tiny column.

"Come on, relax, I'm not going to hurt you." He said, holing up his hands. The girl stared at him uneasily.

"Then why did you steal from us?" She said.

"I'm kind of in a rough spot at the moment. I haven't eaten for a week, and I'm out of money. I figured that if I could just snatch a bit here, a bit there, then no one would really notice, and I could be on my way." He said, being honest. The girl did not look convinced.

"We're not rich, we work hard for what we have. This was going to be a special meal today, for my brother, he's coming back from the war today." Jack felt embarrassment crawling up his neck.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to ruin your meal." He said. The girl looked at him, studying his haggard appearance.

"Look, I'll make it up to you, I promise." He said, putting his hands behind his back. The girl raised her hands again.

"What do you have behind your back?" She said. A slight hum and glimmer came from his hands, sweat accumulating on his brow. He reached out his hand, slowly.

"Here, I did not know of any way to exchange it, but perhaps you could make use of it." He opened his palm, sweat dripping down his fingers. In his hand he held a diamond, about the size of a nut, pure and translucent. The girl took a step forward in wonder.

"If you have this then why did you not exchange it for food?" She asked. Jack smiled, his tell.

"I did not know whether or noth they would take it. That, and I was afraid I was going to be mugged if someone saw me with this." He said, lying. The real reason he had not made a diamond for exchange was one, it was really exhausting, and two, it was a lot easier to just go and steal some food from some unsuspecting person than make a diamond, barter for an exchange, and then have the food. To be honest with himself he liked snatching things.

The girl eyed the diamond, standing still. Jack held it out.

"Come on, take it, it's the least I can do for spoiling your brother's homecoming." The girl shook her head.

"No, I can't take that from you." She said. Jack tossed it up in the air at her. She reached out a hand instinctively, snatching it out of the air. It was hot, warm from his touch. She gazed at the crystal in her hand, a rainbow flowing out of the intricate weavings of its design. She looked up, expecting to see the boy, but instead all she saw was an empty yard. The next thing she knew her brother was home, and she almost forgot about the diamond in her hand.

Jack made his way up the hill, disappearing from the village. It was probably best that he not go back. He felt somewhat ashamed at having been caught stealing. He should have just went hunting, or made a diamond for himself, but instead he took the easy way out and just snatched something. He shook his head. He needed to stop following every caprice that crossed his mind. He determined then that he would hunt for his dinner, letting Azula slip a bit further from his reach, if only to allow himself to attain a honest dinner.

For the next two hours he paced about the woods, setting a couple of snares and searching for a watering hole. Not finding any streams or rivers nearby Jack sat down in a bush and waited, biding his time. Eventually some small, furry creature wondered into his sight. He waited until it was close, then he shot a fireball at it, killing the creature. He wished that he had a bow or spear, something other than a giant fireball, but he had to work with what he had, which was not much. He went ahead and cleaned his game, uncertain of what he had caught exactly since the fur was charred and burnt. The meat was stringy and chewy after he cooked it, but it was meat none the less.

Later on he went back and checked his snares, pleased to see that at least one had caught something. He proceeded to clean and cook this one a bit more thoroughly, putting it over a fire instead of just searing it with his firebending. The animal was once again foreign to him, but then again it was to be expected. The meat was fatter and gamier than the other one, and it left him with a full stomach. He leaned back, looking up between the trees to see the stars, twinkling far off in the distance, remote and far removed, alike to his memories.

After resting a bit he decided he would camp for the night. He set up his earth tent, creating a fire right next to it. He warmed himself, the cool night air sucking the heat away from him. He wished he had a blanket or something, but since he had nothing, and had no desire to cover himself with leaves, he decided to call it a night, debating whether or not to hunt tomorrow or to just call it good and to keep pursuing Azula. He shrugged the thought off as he drifted off to sleep, he did not have to worry about it at the moment.

The sound of a twig snapping awoke him. He sat still, listening to the ground. While he could not see like Toph he could still determine distances the old fashion way, putting your ear to the ground and listening intently. He took in a deep breath, steadying his heart so as to allow him to better focus on the approaching figure. Another twig snapped, closer by. He sat up, the need to listen to the earth no longer present.

Feet closed in on his camp ground, soft, yet unsure. It seemed to be the only pair of feet moving about, so Jack assumed he was safe. The figure seemed confused and timid, a frightened fellow probably lost in the woods after dark. Then again it could be Azula, playing a feeble victim to lure him into a false state of security in order to get the upper hand on him. Then when she had him she could use him as bait. Perhaps that had been her plan all along, to capture him then use him as bait for the avatar, as she would have assumed that since he spent some time with him goody two shoes Aang would naturally want to help him if he ever got in trouble, which no doubt he would if Jack did land in a spot of trouble again. Anger coursed through his veins as he thought about this deceit, this trickery. If Azula thought he would be lulled by this pathetic attempt to trick him then she was sorely mistaken, and was about to pay for her arrogance.

Jack waited until the figure was right outside his tent. He could hear their breath, no doubt a woman's. He waited a split second longer, then shot the door to the tent out, smashing into the startled person outside. A cry leapt out of the figures lips as she flew back, landing on the ground with a dull thud. Jack stepped out, his fists glowing white. He took a step forward, advancing towards who could only be Azula.

"Thought you could outsmart me eh girly?" He said, walking over and grabbing her by the hair. Terrified green eyes met his, startling him back to his senses. It was not Azula, just the girl that he had met earlier in town. He let her go, taking a step back.

"Ohh my… I… I'm so sorry, are you all right?" He said, falling to his knees. The girl began to sob softly, her lip quivering. Blood dripped down her nose, plopping on the ground at her feet. She shook gently, sitting herself up. She held out a hand, keeping him back.

"It's okay." She stuttered, leaning back against the tree.

"Let me take a look at that." He said, noticing how she held her arm. She shook her head, scooting back away from him.

"No, that's fine. Just stay where you are." Jack held up his hands, sitting down cross-legged.

"What are you doing here, isn't your brother back?" He said. The girl nodded her head.

"Yes, I just never got the chance to say thank you." She said. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"For what, stealing from you?" The girl shook her head, a faint smile on her face.

"No, not that. I wanted to thank you for giving me the diamond, you have no clue how much it's going to help my family." She said. Jack smiled.

"It was the least I could do, you know, stealing from you guys and all." She laughed, grimacing at the pain in her arm as her body shook. Jack came closer.

"Come on now, if you wanted to thank me you might as well let me take a look at that." He said. She looked at him in the eyes, then nodded her head. He took her arm gently, his fingers moving about her muscles, searching for any deformity. Right above the elbow he felt a bone, slightly out of place. He could not be sure, it did not feel broken, but it definitely did not belong there.

"Straighten your arm." He said. She did, wincing at the effort. Her arm shook, pain flaring up and down it as she held it out. Jack supported it, alleviating the pain somewhat. He lifted it up slowly, watching her expression. She bit down on her lip as it moved up.

"I can't be sure but you might have broken something. Plus, you probably damaged your rotator cuff." He said, setting it gently in her lap. The girl smiled feebly.

"Great. First you steal from us, then you break my arm. What's next, you going to tear down our house?" She said, a smile on her face. Jack laughed.

"Who knows, if you sneak up on me again it might just happen." He said. The girl laughed.

"What's your name?" She asked. Jack looked at her, staring deep into those emerald eyes.

"Jack." He said. The girl giggled.

"That's a strange name." She said.

"Well what's your name?" He retorted, feigning offense.

"Korin." She said. Jack smiled softly.

"That's a nice name, almost as good as mine." He said. They both laughed.

"So, Jack, what are you doing out this way? Making your way to Ba Sin Sey?" She asked. Jack wobbled his head.

"Somewhat. I'm actually tracking a convoy of firebenders. Perhaps you saw them cross this way?" He asked. The girl nodded.

"Ya, actually. Just this morning a whole group of fire-nation soldiers marched through town. They didn't do much, which surprised us, they kinda just marched straight through, not noticing us." Jack stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Was there some girls along with the group? They would have stood out." He said. Korin nodded her head.

"Ya, at the head of the group there were two girls and another one inside a carrier of sorts, though I didn't get a good look at her." She said.

"Would you describe the two girls as gloomy beyond all reason and chipper as a bird?" He asked. Korin suppressed a smile.

"Yes, actually, I would. How did you know?" She asked.

"Those are the ones I've been tracking, particularly the one in the carrier." He said. Korin looked at him inquisitively.

"Why are you tracking them?" She asked.

"Because they hold my past." He responded tacitly. The two sat in silence for a while, the only sound reaching them was the crackling of fire. Jack turned, looking at the ash of his own fire. His fire was out, so what was making that noise? He looked back towards the village, standing up.

"Korin." He said. She stood up, moving to his side. They stared at the smoke rising up into the night sky, blotting out the moon.

"My village." She said, her tone hushed. Jack sprinted off towards the village, not waiting for Korin, who quickly fell behind. He crashed through the woods, making his way back towards the top of the hill as best he could. Once he reached the top he took a second to catch his breath, glad that the wind was already blowing the smoke away from him. He looked down, silence permeating the little valley.

A smoldering ruin was all that remained of the quaint little village that he had visited that afternoon. The sound of flames licking against wood echoed, crackling and snapping. Jack looked down, burnt corpses strewn about the village. He slowly walked down, making his way towards the main road. Korin came up behind him, jogging up to him and clinging to his back, terrified shivers running through her body. She let out a small scream as she recognized her house, a pile of rubble and ash. She ran up to it, a charred hand buried beneath the debris. A ring sat on its finger, plain gold with a green emerald on top of it, in the shape of a dragon. She fell to her knees, grasping the ring. She pulled it off, the flesh, seared to the metal, tearing off of the finger.

"This was my brothers." She said softly, to herself. Jack stood beside her, looking at the ruins of her house. There was no way anyone had survived. Korin began to sob, her shoulders shaking with the effort. Jack laid a hand on her shoulder, offering what comfort he could. The glint of metal caught his attention. He moved off, leaving Korin some privacy in her grief.

There, in the middle of the road, atop a flaming pile of wood, was a knife. Gold handle, ruby hilt, pearl quillons, ornate, and expensive. Jack put the flames out, cooling the wood and reaching up to take the knife. He pulled it out, the blade blackened from its exposure to the heat. An earthen tube sat tied to the hilt. He noticed that there was writing on he. He turned and pressed it in the dirt, rolling it, leaving the characters imprinted unto the ground. He read the message.

_So sorry to miss you darling, was hoping you'd be here. Anywho I'll be at Ba Sin Sey if you want some answers. Lots of love, Azula._


	2. Friends, old and new

**Chapter II**

Jack broke the earthen cylinder in his hand, the pieces cutting his palm open. Blood mingled with the shards, turning dark red. He breathed through his nose, trying to keep control of himself. To let himself break down with Korin nearby was not an option, she had just lost her family, it would not do her much good to see the one person who was on her side freaking out, bashing things. So, instead, Jack put his knuckles in his mouth, biting down hard, squeezing his eyes shut. Blood flooded into his mouth as he tore at his knuckles, the metallic taste sweeping across his tongue. He pulled his hand out, noticing that now both his knuckles and palm was bleeding. Great.

He dropped the shards of earth, picking a couple out of his flesh. He spat on the ground, getting the blood out of his mouth. He then tore one of his sleeves and wrapped his hand, realizing that it was the same one that he had broken one of the knuckles on.

"Sorry righty." He said, pushing it into his pocket. He looked around, trying to see if there were any survivors, but it quickly became apparent that no one had made it out. This was an extermination mission, Azula had known he was not in the village but assumed he would pass through it sometime, so she had went ahead and burnt it to the ground, leaving that message behind to entice him to Ba Sin Sey. The only thing that Jack did not understand was why she had not just burnt it down this morning? Perhaps she had wanted to lull the inhabitants into a false sense of security before she annihilated them, it would not surprise him.

Jack walked back to Korin, who was still weeping by the ash that used to be her home. He came up beside her, kneeling down.

"Korin, I'm sorry, but we have to get moving." He said. She turned to him, her face streaked with tears. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, sorrow stricken across her face. Ash had accumulated in her hair from the gentle breeze that now swept through the village.

"Why, why must we leave? The dead must be buried, and given their proper respect." She said, standing up, wiping the dirt from her knees.

"I'm sorry Korin, but we cannot bury the dead. The firebenders who did this are no doubt close by, waiting." He said. Korin looked at him.

"Why are they waiting stranger? First they come through my village then next you do, hunting them, and now my village is no more, my family dead, do tell stranger why do they stay close by?" She asked, furry building in her words. Her eyes flashed with anger and she stood tall, glaring defiantly into Jack's face. Jack lowered his eyes.

"They're after me. That's why your village is destroyed; that's why they're still close by, they're probably waiting for me to show up." He said. A hand struck him on the face with such force that his world spun. He shook himself, trying to stop the reeling stars.

"How dare you! How dare you, come into this village and bring all your violence and destruction with you! What has this village ever done to you, to deserve such animosity?" She asked. Jack looked back at her, trying to control his anger.

"I did not know that she would do this Korin." He said, slow and controlled. "I did not realize that Azula was close by, that she was waiting for me. But I was not the one who destroyed your village." He said, taking a step towards Korin.

"I was not the one who descended down on your town like wraiths in the night. I did not hack, slash and maim your neighbors, family, and friends. I did not burn down your home and loved ones!" He yelled, his hands glowing white. Korin stumbled backwards, fear dancing in her eyes. Jack was shouting now.

"It was not me, it was not my fault, and I will not be held responsible for Azula's actions!" He poked Korin in the chest, making her stumble and fall in a pile of ash. Jack looked down at her.

"Now, you can either come with me and get a shot at evening the score with that maniac or else you can stay here, wait for them to come back, and be used as bait for Azula's next trap. And just to let you know." He said, crouching down beside her. "I would sooner watch you burn than give up my chance to take her out." He said, walking away. Korin shook in the rubble for a few moments, the sound of Jack's feet slowly receding into the distance. She steadied herself, gathering her courage and going after Jack. She would bury her sorrow for now, at the moment she would go with this stranger, she would keep her eye on him, and if the chance arose, she would take her chance at vengeance.

The two made their way out of the village, moving some distance until Jack felt it was safe. They moved into the pines, making a campsite, though the dawn was slowly arising. Jack made two tents and ordered her to get some rest, retiring to his own tent and immediately falling asleep. It was a short rest, as he awoke by midday. He yawned and stretched out, kicking the door to his tent down. He crawled out, rubbing his eyes. He saw Korin, sitting with her knees huddled up to her chest, in fitful sleep against a tree, shivering as nightmares plagued her. She had not slept in her tent, probably to consumed with the events of the night before. Jack walked up to her, guilt rising in his chest as he remembered how he had treated her the night before.

Her face was still streaked red, her hair a mess, ash mixed with sweat. Her nose was a bit swelled up, though it had stopped bleeding. Jack looked at her arm, delicately cradled in her other arm. It had not swelled up, which was a good thing, but he could still not tell whether or not she had broken it. Well, by the way she had smacked him last night he guessed that she had not broken it after all.

Jack sighed. He knew that he had not reacted in the right manner, but his choler had been so great at Azula's stab at him that he had let it get the best of him, and she had paid the price. He would have to rectify that somehow. His stomach suggested breakfast, or whatever meal it was closest being to.

"Good idea." Said Jack, patting his stomach. It said something about having a lot of good ideas, but he just didn't listen.

Jack made sure that there was no one about, then he went out into the woods, looking for something to kill. It did not take him long, and soon he was returning to camp with a couple of creatures he figured were good enough to eat. Korin still slept against her tree, her lips quivering. Jack gathered some wood and laid it on the ground, figuring he would risk a fire, for Korin's sake. He tucked some twigs and leaves, which he had bended the water out of, underneath the logs, snapping his fingers to ignite the kindling. The white flame quickly jumped over to the wood, bursting into flames. Jack sat back, satisfied by the fire, though it emitted a lot of smoke.

"I thought that you were an earthbender?" Said a voice. Jack jumped, turning to see Korin's battered eyes staring at him. He turned red, having thought that she was still asleep.

"I am an earthbender." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He went over to where he had laid the animals, taking out his knife to clean them.

"An earthbender hmm? Then why is it that you started the fire without flint?" She said. Jack raised a pair of flint rocks over his head, luckily they had been lying close by.

"Sure." She said, unconvinced. "And I guess that those animals just burnt their own fur now did they?" Jack looked down at the scorched pelts. She had a point there.

"Look, do you want to eat or not?" Asked Jack, slicing the meat and sticking it on sticks to cook. Korin looked at one of the sticks hungrily. She nodded her head.

"Stop asking questions and you can eat, start asking questions and I won't feed you, deal?" He said, holding out one of the sticks. Korin thought for a moment, then reached out and took the stick from him.

"Deal." She said, scooting up by the fire. The two sat together, cooking their meal. Jack kept a look out for any fire-nation soldiers, but none appeared, leaving them to finish their meal in peace.

After washing off the grease and grime from themselves in a nearby stream, as well as filling up a canteen Jack had on him, the two began to make their way towards Ba Sin Sey, keeping to the forests. When Korin asked why they were going to Ba Sin Sey Jack responded because, thus ending that conversation.

After the first awkward hour or so the going became pleasant, the bright sun cast a warming glow down on them. The pines released their pleasing fragrance, and birds chirped from the trees, at least until Jack shot one with a fireball when Korin had her back turned. She turned around to see Jack holding a red bird, as long as his forearm, smiling.

"Why did you kill it?" She asked. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"It will be a meal latter on, no sense in wasting the meat, if it's edible." Korin shook her head.

"It could have served a greater purpose." She said. Jack snorted.

"Don't tell me you're one of those loons who still follow the air-nomads teachings, peace to all things and withholding from violence until it's convenient for you." He said. Jack may never had said it but he had a bone to pick with Aang. He did not like air-nomad teachings, he found them pretentious, arrogant, and hypocritical, as if they were somehow better by allowing others to suffer because they would not lift a finger to help. That, and the fact his race had almost been exterminated by the air-nomads made for a very, vitriolic, relationship. Korin shook her head.

"No, that's not it. I ate your meat didn't I?" She said. Jack had forgotten that.

"Well then what's the matter with getting some extra meat?" He asked, a bit perturbed.

"These birds sing in the forest. When one calls out another one echoes it, until everywhere you turn there's a beautiful song meeting your ears. When there's danger, however, the birds change their tune, letting out quick, sharp caws, then fleeing." Jack remembered the change in tune after he had shot the bird.

"We could have used them as a kind of early warning system or something." She said. Jack nodded his head.

"To warn us when danger is coming." Said Jack, Korin nodded her head.

"Exactly, besides, I think you overcooked that one anyways." She said, pointing to the black feathers on the other side of the bird.

"Did this one hop into a fire for you too?" She asked teasingly. Jack moved the bird away from her, his eyes narrow.

"My food." He said. Korin laughed, her face lighting up for the first time since the death of her family. The two continued to walk through the forest, forgetting their problems or even their purpose, just remembering that they were on their way to Ba Sin Sey. They chatted and joked, enjoying the freshness of the day. They shared stories they knew or had heard, which for Jack was a rather short list, passing the time as two friends, endeared to each other would do, just speaking and enjoying each other's company.

Eventually night began to fall, and they decided that it was time to make camp. Much to his surprise Jack realized that they had only made one stop in the whole day. He had figured that with Korin, being rather fragile, at least in his mind, they would have had to take several brakes, but they had made it through the day without any problems, and she had matched his pace easily. Maybe it was only because it was half a day's march, or perhaps Korin was tougher than she looked, either way Jack was pleased with the distance they had covered. He was hopeful that within a week they could make it to Ba Sin Sey. Maybe they would even catch Azula before she had time to set her trap properly. One could dream.

They set up camp, Jack making the fire and Korin gathering fruits and herbs. While he was certain she was gone he used his firebending to light the fire, something he could not resist doing. When she came back her arms were full with fruits and roots. She put them down in a pile by the fire, brushing her hands off with a satisfied grin.

"There, see? That's how you get food without burning it." Jack picked up one of the roots, looking at it dubiously.

"You expect me to eat a tree?" He said, sniffing at it. Korin laughed, snatching the root from his grasp.

"I guess you could eat it raw, but it would taste a lot better cooked, you have a pot with you?" She asked. Jack threw his arms out, making an earthen pot for her.

"I do now." He said, brushing it off and handing it to her. She went over to the small rivulet that they had set their camp by, filling it and lugging it back, water sloshing around and down unto her shoes. She set it down, puffing for air.

"Man, water's heavier than it looks." She said. Jack laughed.

"Really Korin? You can trek all day but when it comes to lugging a pot with water in it you get gassed?" He said, coming over and taking the pot the rest of the way, setting it over the fire. Korin smiled.

"Work harder not smarter." She said, walking past him and to her collection of food. Jack paused, thinking about what she meant. He looked at her with narrow eyes.

"I'll have to watch out for you, you're craftier than you look." He said, sitting down and chewing on a twig he had picked up. Korin raised an eyebrow.

"You turn your nose at my roots but you chew on some random dirty twig you find on the ground?" Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I like having something to naw on, especially around dinner." He said, patting his stomach for emphasis. Korin shook her head.

"Boys." Jack smiled, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. He stared up at the stars, dancing about in the sunset, asking them to reveal the secrets he so greatly desired. They stared back at him, silent and distant, as always.

After a while Jack's stomach started growling at him. He smacked it with his right hand, wincing as he realized that that hand was a little bit misused.

"Great going stomach, you see what you did to righty?" He muttered. Korin looked over at him.

"What did you say?" She asked. Jack waved her off.

"Nothing." He heard a gasp as Korin saw his bandaged hand.

"What happened?" She asked, walking over to him. Jack sat up.

"Nothing, really, I just cut it." He said. Korin sat next to him, untying the bandage. Scabs peeled off with the cloth. Blood slowly began to seep out of his wounds. She grimaced.

"How did this happen?" She asked, turning his hand over. Jack shrugged.

"Don't know, must have touched something at the village." He said. She looked at him.

"You've had this all day? Why didn't I notice?"

"You're narcissistic?" He said. She glared at him.

"Just wait, I have just the thing for that." Jack groaned. He did not need any help with it, it was just a couple of scratches. His hand begged to differ.

"Shut it, you can take it." He muttered while Korin was away. His left hand chimed in on the conversation.

"I know it was my fault, I shouldn't have lost my cool, but I don't need help, you guys will be fine." He said. Both his hands disagreed, his stomach chiming in something about a bad habit of letting his mind rule to much of the time, and that it should get more power in making calls, especially when it came to food. Jack was about to snap back at them, but Korin was coming back over, and the last thing she needed was to find him arguing with his hands and stomach. She sat down next to him, her hands clutching a bundle of leaves. She put one in her mouth, chewing it to a pulp. She spat out the poultice on one of the other leaves.

"Let me see it." She said. Jack pulled his hand away.

"No, that was in your mouth!" He said. Korin rolled her eyes.

"It will help with the cuts, it prevents infection and will aid the healing process." She said. Jack was not convinced.

"But it's been contaminated by your saliva." He said.

"Better mine than yours." Countered Korin. He could not argue with that. Reluctantly he held out his hand, allowing Korin to apply her medicine. Needless to say Jack made sure to wince and grimace as much as possible.

"Are you sure this isn't some sort of recipe for poison or something?" He asked, looking at his hand, wrapped in leaves. "I'm pretty sure it feels worse now." Korin rolled her eyes.

"You are the biggest baby I have ever had the displeasure of attending." She said, going back to her root soup. Jack grinned.

"I don't like soup." He said. She stopped, her head dropping to her chest. She let out a sigh.

"You are intolerable, you know that?"

"I try." He said, leaning back against a tree. Jack sat back and watched as Korin worked over her stew, tasting it and adding some of the fruits and herbs she had gathered. Eventually she gave a satisfied nod, turning to Jack.

"Ready to eat whiner?" She asked. Jack got up, grunting as he did so.

"Well, maybe I can try your soup, perhaps it won't be as bad as the others I tried." He took a bowl of it from Korin, sitting down by the fire. He raised the bowl, made from earth of course, to his lips, sipping at the soup. What met his taste-buds was the most odious and foul thing known to man. It tasted as if a rat had eaten onions, been killed with arsenic, and then left to soak in a vat of stale urine. His first reaction was to regurgitate whatever he had been inconvenient enough to swallow, but the eager look in Korin's eyes made him second guess this maneuver, so instead he swallowed it, nodding his head.

"Not bad, for soup." He said, draining the rest of the poisonous brew in one swig. He tried to not cough after he was finished.

"Really?" She asked. Jack shook his head.

"Ya, not a big fan of soups, but that wasn't too bad." He said, smiling. A wide grin spread across Korin's face.

"I thought that I had made it a bit too strong, that's what everyone else usually tells me, but I like it this way. I guess it's nice running into someone else with the same developed taste as me." She said, ladling herself a bowl. Jack tried his best not to laugh, or make a sarcastic remark, she was having such a fun time. Korin took his bowl and gave him a second helping. Jack looked at the black liquid in his bowl, wishing for all the world that he was starving in prison again. He drained it, however, as well as a third, and fourth helping, before he finally could not physically swallow anymore. He went over and lay underneath a tree, a groan escaping his lips.

"You know, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing." Said Korin, setting the bowls to the side. Jack nodded slowly.

"Tell me about it." He said. His stomach yelled at him, its voice slurred and obfuscated from the meal. It was probably along the lines of him being an idiot and that it would not put up with anymore of this stuff. Jack shushed himself, wanting only silence. Korin looked over at him.

"Shall I make the tents or are you going to sleep outside tonight?" She asked. Jack cracked open an eye, looking at her eager face.

"Why don't you go ahead and make the tents, I think it might rain." He said, not a cloud in the sky. Korin contained a girlish squeal.

"Alright!" She said, prepping herself. She looked over at a clear zone in their campsite, focusing on the flat space of earth. She breathed in, grunting as she tried to make the tents. Two little pumps appeared in the ground and then collapsed. Disappointed she looked over at Jack, who seemed to have his eyes closed. She breathed in again, trying harder. She stepped forward, moving her wrists in a rigid motion. They got a little bigger this time, but they slumped over after a second. Annoyed, and now embarrassed, Korin decided to focus on one tent at a time. She did her best, doing the motions that she thought would work, but when she was done all she got was a lopsided wall, which toppled over on the other one she had managed to coerce from the ground. She sighed, upset at her failure to do such a simple task.

"Need some help girly?" Asked Jack. Korin turned, noticing that his eyes were still closed.

"Ya, I guess I do." She said, downcast. Jack stood up, his bloated stomach sticking out. He made his way over to her, looking at the pathetic attempts that dotted the landscape. He nodded his head.

"That's not a bad place to start." He said. Korin turned red.

"No, it's horrible. I can't even make one tent, yet you can do two without even looking. I'm so bad at this." She said.

"Look, you may be bad now, but you have to start somewhere, and the sooner you get a move on the sooner you will get better." He said. He turned to the tents, demolishing them and smoothing the ground. He turned back to Korin.

"Now, the first thing you need is your stance." He said, spreading his legs and bending his knees. "It must be firm, and unmovable, just like earth." Korin copied his stance.

"Good, just straighten out your back a bit more, there it is." He said, critiquing her form.

"Now, with a rigid motion you call the earth out of the ground." He said, stepping and pushing his wrists forward. A mound of earth flew off into the forest, crashing into trees and knocking them over. Korin breathed in and tried herself, making a little bump in the earth that stopped at the first tree. She straightened out, sighing.

"See, I just can't get it down." She said. Jack laughed.

"Not with that attitude you won't." He said, coming over to her.

"Now spread your legs." He said, kicking her heels. She slid out, widening her stance.

"Bend your knees, good. Now raise your arms, as if you're about to push someone." He said, lifting her wrists up a little higher.

"Now, when you go at the earth, don't push it, smash it! You want to punch through the earth, show it which one of you packs more austerity!" He said. Korin lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Show it who's tougher." Said Jack. Korin nodded her head, getting the point. She stepped forward, pushing through the earth. A mound rose up and broke through a tree, bending a second one.

"Great! Excellent, see, you're a natural." He said. Korin turned to him, a smile spread across her lips.

"Now maybe if you just moved your hands like so." He said, coming up to her and grabbing her wrists from behind, wrapping his arms around her. They froze, stunned by the contact of flesh on flesh. Jack looked at her, gazing deep into those emerald eyes. He felt the warmth of her back crawl into his chest, his heart jumping within. He let go of her wrists, taking a quick step back.

"Well, that was a pretty good lesson, but I think we should stop now, don't want to make too much noise. Besides, we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow, so let's get some rest." Jack quickly made a tent and went inside, thoughts crashing through his head. Everything was screaming at him at once. His heart deplored his actions, which it blamed on his hormones. His hormones pleaded the fifth and redirected it to his brain. His brain tried saying that it was somehow his stomachs fault, which in return just snored, knocked out by the noxious brew that was dinner. Jack grabbed his head, trying to silence all the noises. A single name crashed through his mind.

He sat up, grasping at the thought. He reached back into his mind, conjuring up a sweet face. Tan cheeks, with glowing brown eyes. Auburn hair falling down her back, a small, pointed nose wrinkled with laughter. Tears sprang into his eyes as he remembered the figure; her glowing posture, the ebullient joy she brought with her presence, and most of all, her death. Jack shook, reaching his hand out for his notebook. He flipped it open, grabbing the pencil and writing with shaking hands on the bottom of the page. One word. Amy.

The shaky lettering seeped with blood. Her silent screams reached him, piercing his ears. He covered them, burying his head in the ground, wanting the memories to recede back into oblivion. Tears dripped down his face, a boy next to him, crying as well. Chains around his wrists, the two separated, crying out to each other for the last time. He could hear him now.

"Jack! Jack!" Jack sat up. That was not his memories, that was Korin.

"Firebenders!" She called. The sound of a fireball crashing against the side of his tent brought him to action. He stuffed the notebook in his breast pocket, shattering the tent in all directions.

Korin was back by the campfire, trying to ward off three firebenders who were slowly closing in on her. Two more firebenders were coming on Jack's left, three on his right, and one big guy right in front of him. Jack readied himself, breathing through his nose.

The firebenders on the sides rushed at him, shooting jets of flame at him. He blocked both of them with a flame of his own, the orange and white mixing to produce a vibrant color. He then kicked out, shooting up two earth pillars on his right, taking out two out of three, at least for the moment. He then turned and rolled, dodging the big guy's flame, which just barely nicked his eyebrows. He shot two blasts of air at him. They rolled off of the figure like a gentle breeze, because, in all honesty, that was what they were. The big guy laughed at him, only to have his teeth knocked out by a boulder to the face. Jack turned and shot a fireball at the last guy from the right, running towards the other two. They came at him, fists glowing with flames. Jack slid, bringing his arms up and slashing them across the stomachs, diamond blades turning into ash after he had made contact. He popped up, turning to see the three from the right coming back at him. He threw two diamond knives at them, one going down with a knife to the throat and another taking one in the leg. The last one performed a roundhouse arc. Jack tried to block it with a flame if his own, but he was knocked back into a tree. The last one came at him, flipping and shooting two fireballs from his feet. Jack's eyes widened as he saw the massive balls of inferno racing towards him. He dropped to his right shoulder, rolling out of the way, just in time as the tree shattered, flaming bits falling down on him. He went with the roll, launching himself with his hands onto his feet. He shot two pillars of earth at the last soldier, conjuring up some water from the rivulet. His opponent dodged both pillars and came around to throw a couple of fireballs at him, only to find that his body was encased in a slab of ice.

"How you doing?" Asked Jack as he rabbit punched the man, knocking him out. He turned and kicked the soldier with the knife in his leg in the face, blood flying out of his mouth as he fell to the ground. Jack looked at him. What had he been doing, crawling up to help his comrade? Stupid to be honest.

"Jack!" Korin's sharp scream brought Jack back to the fight. He turned to see two of the guards holding Korin, the last one on the ground holding his privates. Jack came over, staring the guards down.

"Easy there bud, or the girl gets it." Said one of the guard, holding up a flaming fist to Korin's face. To give her credit Korin did not whimper, a mélange of courage and fear dancing across her face. The other soldier held her arm tight, following the lead of his friend. Jack looked at them both, taking in a deep breath. He held his hands up, the back of his hands facing them. The soldiers looked at him perplexed.

Before they could realize what was happening Jack flicked his wrists forward, sending two diamond shards at the men holding Korin. The shards landed in their skulls with a dull thunk, their eyes rolling back as their bodies fell to the ground. Korin withheld a shocked scream. She covered her mouth, looking at the bleeding corpses at her feet. Jack held out his hand.

"Come on, we got to go." He said. Korin looked at the men, ash and blood mingled next to the slender holes in their foreheads. She looked back up, taking hesitant steps towards him. She grabbed his hand, moving with him to pack up the few possessions they had. They made a move to go further into the woods, but someone was there, waiting for them.

"Really darling, must you make such a mess?" Jack pulled up, brushing Korin behind him. He looked over at where Azula stood in front of them, Mai and Ty-Lee by her side. There were no other soldiers, just those three. Apparently they had sent in the soldiers to see how prepared he was; well, now they knew. Jack took a deep breath, looking at Azula's malevolent gaze, her golden eyes sparkling in the waning light.

"You should give it up dear, it's no use." She said. Jack shook his head.

"Come on sweet-cheeks, you know I don't quite easy." He said. Azula smiled at him.

"Ohh, I just love our witty banter, but I do have a schedule to keep." Jack waved her over.

"Come on then." Azula looked over at Ty-Lee and Mai, nodding her head. Jack knew immediately that he could not take them all on, especially while trying to protect Korin. He turned to her, pushing her back.

"Run!" He yelled, shoving her. Korin stumbled then gained her feet, sprinting in the opposite direction of the psycho fire-nation girls. Jack followed her, bringing up an earthen wall behind them to buy them a few seconds. They made off, leaving everything behind, not that it was much really, making for the road. Jack heard earth shattering behind them, debris falling down on them. He turned and shot a couple of fireballs back at them, turning back to run. Korin was doing the best she could but her legs were not nearly as long as his, and she was soon falling behind. Jack turned and braced his legs, shooting out mounds of earth at Mai and Azula, who were coming up on their left. Korin ran past him, knowing that pausing would mean condemning both of them. Jack shot a fireball and threw a diamond knife at Mai, who merely caught it and threw it back at him. Jack ducked, a shining blade and blue fireball flying just past him. He turned and dug his heels in, launching himself with an earth push, getting him just out of the reach of knife with his name on it.

He sprinted, pumping his arms and legs as fast as he could, running across the road and towards the other forest, where Korin's form was just disappearing into the brush. He took a second to freeze the water that lay on the road, making Mai slip and fall. Azula crossed it with her normal grace and poise, avoiding a boulder hurled at her and managing to fire off two blue death balls at Jack, just missing him as he vanished into the underbrush.

Jack crashed through the leaves and branches, trying to navigate his way to Korin, who was hopefully ahead. He looked behind his shoulder, seeing the brush shake as Azula and Mai continued the chase. He turned and looked on his left, just in time to see Ty-Lee descending on him. She threw two quick jabs, which Jack blocked with an earthen wall. Her fingers cracked as they hit the wall, but she kept with it, jumping into a roundhouse kick that connected with Jack's face. He fell down, rolling into a tree. Ty-Lee came at him, looking to put him out of commission, but Jack rolled backwards, springing off his hands and onto his feet. He shot two fireballs then smashed into the ground with his fist, dust flying up into the air. He turned and ran deeper into the forest, hoping that he had finally lost them.

He ran for about five more minutes, seeking desperately for his companion, but Korin was nowhere to be seen. His heart crashed in his chest, palpitating from the run and the fear that Korin had been captured. He kept moving, sprinting until he came out of the forest, catching himself as he came to a cliff. He gasped, looking five-hundred feet down at the crashing waves. He took a few steps back, trying to catch his breath. He put his hands above his head, breathing in through his nose and out of his mouth. He looked down to his right, searching along the cliff edge for Korin. He turned left, noticing a figure about a hundred yards away. He jogged towards the person, hoping that it was Korin. As he came closer the figure noticed him, leaping to its feet and taking off towards him. As she got closer he could see that it was Korin. Relieved he pulled up, slowing down to a walk. Korin's eyes were wide with terror as she pointed behind him, shouting.

"Watch out!"

Jack rolled, not even bothering to look behind him. A fireball scorched above him, but something sharp and painful made contact with his calf. He gritted his teeth, limping towards Korin, the cold steel lodged in his muscles. He reach her, turning to face Azula and her cronies, who stood thirty feet away from them. A victorious smile lay on Azula's lips.

"It's all over darling. You put up a good flight, but you should have known that you couldn't beat me, no one does." Jack spat.

"The water-tribe boy did." He said. Azula's brow furled.

"Yes, well, he did have help, so technically it took four people to beat me, and even then it was only a slight victory." She said. Jack laughed.

"You are so pompous Azula." He said, grabbing Korin's arms. Azula frowned.

"Go ahead and insult me, see if that helps you any." She said. Jack nudged Korin, forcing her closer to the cliff. Ty-Lee twitched.

"Really? You're going to go over, in your condition?" Said Azula, reading Jack's intention. Jack did not say anything, looking at Korin.

"You trust me?" He said softly. Korin looked back at him.

"I barely know you." She replied. Jack smiled.

"It will have to do." He said. Azula stepped towards him.

"Wait, don't you want answers?" Jack froze, the lump in his breast pocket weighing down on him. Azula took another step.

"If you do this you may never learn. Never again will another opportunity like this present itself. If you come with me now I promise to explain everything." She said. Jack looked down into the sea, then back up at Azula. He saw the honesty in her eyes, her hand held out delicately, enticing him.

"Azula, you always lie." Said Jack, jumping off the edge, Korin screaming in his arms. Azula sprinted to the cliff edge, watching as they fell. She watched as they splashed into the water down below, waiting for them to break the surface. They never did.


	3. Serpents Pass

**Chapter III**

The feeling of two warm lips pressed against his shot through his mind. The warm, tingling sensation spread from his lips down his throat, warming his whole body. The passion filled him, reviving the life that lay within him. Suddenly searing pain filled his lungs as salt water burned its way through, coming back up his throat and out his mouth.

Jack rolled over in the sand, coughing up a quart of water, the salt tearing his throat as it came back up. He gasped at air, trying to calm himself. The sound of thundering waves came to him, water washing up against his hands. Wet sand seeped up between his fingers, digging underneath his fingernails. He shook himself, trying to focus on what had happened.

They had gone into the water, after jumping off the cliff. Jack had used his waterbending to soften the landing, then he made an air pocket, propelling them away from the cliff. Somewhere along the line he had begun to fail, and the air pocket collapsed. They had been washed away by the turbulent seas, clinging desperately to each other. Jack had done his best, but the mélange of blood loss and lack of rest got the better of him and he slipped under the water, fading into blackness. Something had happened then, had Korin saved him?

He turned, looking at Korin, who sat on her knees in the sand, tears dripping down her face, her wet hair clinging to the side of her head. She gave him a weak smile, her body shaking. Jack looked up and down the beach; no one else was there. Somehow Korin had managed to drag his body from the water and resuscitate his unconscious form.

His lips began to burn as he realized that the warm, succulent pair pressed against his had been Korin's. He licked them slowly, remembering the feeling of her lips pressed against his own. His cheeks turned red as he realized that Korin was still watching him. Jack stood up in the sand, wobbling as a wave crashed around his ankles. Dots danced around his vision as the blood rushed to his head. Korin rushed over to him, putting herself underneath his arm. They walked up the beach together, withholding from speaking, at least for the time being. A group of rocks beside the cliff made for an appealing resting spot, so they made their way over.

Korin helped Jack down, setting herself down next to him afterwards. The two breathed heavily, both exhausted from their most recent ventures. The salty air battered against them, sending shivers through their bodies. The sun had set, bringing out the night sky, dotted with stars, twinkling far off in the distance. Jack gritted his teeth as the wind sucked the heat from them, their wet clothes not helping. He flicked his wrists, ridding Korin and he of the water. She sat up straight, startled.

Jack breathed into his hands, a small white flame coming out of his mouth. After a few more puffs it died out, his energy gone. He leaned back, shivering as the spray from the surf hit him.

"We need to get somewhere dry." Said Jack, his teeth chattering. Korin merely nodded her head, watching him. Jack realized that she was waiting for him to come up with a plan. He looked around, seeing nothing in the darkness. More than likely they were on some random section of beach, cut off from all other routes by the cliff walls. The only way out was either to swim around or scale the cliff, something that would have been feasible if Jack had any energy left, but he was exhausted, and Jack did not feel safe allowing Korin to bend them both to the top, as they were liable to plummet back down half way up. So, instead, he decided that they would have to rest here for the night. He turned over, tapping the rocks they sat on.

"This looks like it would be good enough for a tent, don't you think?" He asked. Korin nodded her head. Jack reached for her hand, enveloping it with his fingers.

"Help me?" He said. Korin nodded her head, her eyes meeting his. Jack turned and brought his arm back, Korin copying his motion. They both punched down at the rock, making a tent that covered them from the elements. Jack sighed, laying out in the darkness. The ground was not all that comfortable, but he was not going to do anything about it, he was too tired to even think. Korin sat huddled in the darkness, her back turned to his. She shivered, the cold stone sapping any comfort the walls had provided.

"Cold?" Asked Jack. Korin nodded her head, unseen in the darkness. Jack turned, wrapping his arms around her, bringing her in close. They shared their body heat, warmth slowly creeping back into them. They sat silent for a while, sleep slowly coming to Jack. His eyes flopped and closed, his head resting against the coarse stone.

"What happened?" Jack blinked, having almost been asleep.

"Eh?" He asked, trying to shake off his drowsiness. Korin took in a deep breath.

"What happened back there? At first I wasn't certain, but now I am, you can bend all the elements, can't you?" Jack sighed, the proverbial cat-bird being let out of the bag.

"Ya, I can bend all four elements, though I'm not the avatar." He said. Silence dominated the tent for a few moments as Korin gathered her thoughts.

"If you're not the avatar, then what are you?" She asked. Jack thought for a moment, tempted to ignore her and fall asleep, but she had saved his life, and as he told Sokka before, he owed her his secrets, however limited they may be.

"I'm a diamondbender." He said. "I can bend all four elements into one. That's what happened back there. I killed those guards with a couple of diamond slivers, right to the head." He said, tapping his forehead. "Thunk, and nights out." He finished. Korin was not amused.

"You could have hit me." She muttered.

"Could have but didn't." He replied. Korin snorted, edging away from Jack.

"Look, Korin, I'm sorry about that, but I can't go back. What happened to me in that prison, I just can't do that again. I know it's hard for you to understand, and maybe we should go our separate ways in the morning, but if there is one thing in this world I cannot allow its Azula winning. I have to stop her, and not just for my sake, but for all the other people who are going to be harmed by her sinister plans. She won't stop until the world's burning, then she'll just dance on the ashes." The tent was silent, the sound of their breathing echoing softly in the closed space. Korin said nothing more, she merely moved back into Jack, sharing her body heat once again. He hoped that this was a sign that he had been forgiven, but the stiffness of her body and tacit attitude made him think that he still had not made up for messing up her life, again. Jack closed his eyes, trying to forget the world once more and fall into sleep, which he did.

He awoke the next morning to find the tent dismantled, the wind blowing in his face. Harsh sunlight glowed in his eyes, making him squint. Jack moved to sit up, but a searing pain in his calf forced that motion to a halt. Looking down Jack noticed the gash in his leg, the knife gone who knows where. The flesh was pale, but clean, having been purified by the salt water last night. Blood sat in a little pool below his leg; apparently he had been bleeding in his sleep, something that was not desirable since it could lead to his death.

Jack reached down, touching the flesh gingerly. Blood and puss oozed out, accompanied by a stab of pain. He sat up straight, bracing himself against the rocks. White flames gathered in his hand, his body trembling as he braced himself. Reaching down Jack put his palm on the gash, the heat searing his skin and cauterizing the wound. His whole body shook violently as he held on, his left fist in his mouth, being torn apart by his grinding jaw. Tears sprang into his eyes, and he was about to pass out when he finally decided that it was enough.

He withdrew his hand, the smell of cooked flesh rising to his nose; strangely enough it actually made him hungry. Jack laughed to himself, tears dripping down his face. Perhaps it was a good thing the stomach did not make all the decisions, as he was liable to cook up his calf and eat it for breakfast.

Loath to look, but deciding that it was necessary Jack turned his calf over, looking at where the wound used to be. He covered his mouth as he looked at the burnt flesh, a queasy feeling rose as his stomach decided to rid itself of its contents. His brain, not wishing to retch at the moment, refused his stomachs request, and so the vomit got caught somewhere between his mouth and stomach, which happened to be his throat. Being a trooper and good fellow Jack's throat decided to do him a solid and put up with the rising bile, even forcing it back down into the stomach, ordering it to stay down there. Jack turned his calf back over, not wanting to look at the putrid site again. Perhaps he should have left it well enough alone, he had made it through the night.

Looking about Jack noticed that the beach was deserted; Korin was nowhere to be seen. It would seem that Korin had taken his advice and left as soon as she had been well rested. Jack sighed, already missing her company. Protecting another person was taxing but he was so lonely most of the time. He would never admit it to himself but he hated being alone; the vast emptiness associated with being the only company you have, it was hard, besides, Korin had helped him to remember what it was like to have a good time. Her bright smile and jocular nature yesterday was invigorating, it brought him back to happier times. Times with a girl named Amy, and a boy named Joshua.

Jack blinked. Joshua, where did that come from? He had not tried summoning the memory, it had merely inserted itself into the forefront of his mind. A slender boy, a year older than him, blond hair, blue eyes, and as white as fresh fallen snow. On his face always sat a mischievous smile, in his mind always a plot for fun and adventure. The memory was sweet and tender, yet plagued by ambiguity, he just could not recall everything. Two names, two faces, nothing more. One dead, another lost in obscurity, only Azula seemed to know the whole story, or at least that is what his heart was telling him.

Standing up on shaky legs Jack tried to put pressure on his right one. His calf tightened up and dropped him into the sand. Breathing deeply Jack sat there for a few moments, realizing that he did not have a plan. Thinking for a second Jack decided that he would have to go up the cliff. Hopefully if he made it to the top he would be able to find help, or at least someone to steal from. The thought of stealing once again to sate his needs was unappealing, but if he had to do it to survive he was willing to compromise with his morals, at least for the moment.

Putting his hand on top of the rock Jack pushed himself up, balancing on his left leg. Leaning heavily for support Jack put a bit of weight on his right leg, hopping towards the wall. He made his way over, careful to not step on anything sharp, as he was missing his shoes.

Jack paused, thinking for a moment. What had happened to his shoes? Surely they were not taken by the sea? His shoes were always fastened tightly to his feet, double-knotted at all times. He came to the conclusion that Korin must have taken them, maybe as some sort of compensation. Or to make him suffer, he thought, his bare foot stepping on something sharp and pointy. Resisting the urge to immediately hop off of it, as he had stepped on it with his left foot, he lowered himself gingerly to the ground, swearing underneath his breath.

Once upon the ground Jack alleviated his foot's problems by picking out several prickly-balls, as he called them, throwing the little black devils out back towards the beach. He raised himself back up, moving once again towards the cliff face. As he was walking he stubbed his toe on a rock buried in the sand, making him curl his fingers into fists, resisting the temptation to swear. After stubbing his toe twice more he let himself unravel, going off on a tirade of colorful obscenities. To finish them off he spat in the sand, shaking his head in rage. The sound of someone tisking behind him made him turn.

"You and your temper; you better watch it bub, or someday it's going to get the best of you." Jack looked back at Korin, standing over where he had begun, her body dripping wet. In her hands she held a bundle of seaweeds, or at least what looked like seaweeds, Jack did not know the difference between plant life in the sea.

"Korin, you're here?" Said Jack, hobbling back over, being careful to not step on any prickly-balls or hidden stones, waiting to slice his feet. Korin raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I have left?" She asked. Jack turned red.

"Because I suggested that we split up last night." He said, coming over to her. Korin guided him to the rock, helping him sit down.

"Well, it was a bad suggestion. I mean, who would look after you if I left hmm? You're liable to do something stupid." She said, lifting up his leg and looking at his calf.

"Which you already did." She said, grimacing at the mess.

"Why? Why did you have to burn it?" She asked throwing up her arms and looking it over, poking at it in certain places. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, I thought it would help." He said. Korin shook her head.

"I had already been taking care of it. Why did you think it had stopped bleeding?" She said. Jack avoided her gaze, embarrassed that he had not thought of this scenarios sooner. His gaze rested on his shoes, sitting neatly next to the rock. He wanted to swear again.

"Sorry, I just thought that I was on my own." He said. Korin grabbed her seaweed, taking a green strand and chewing on it. Jack moaned.

"Ohh now, not again with the chewed leaf stuff." Korin did not even bother pausing, taking up a different piece of seaweed, this one a darker blue. She raised his leg and wrapped his calf delicately with it, finishing off the whole area with the blue seaweed. In the meantime she swallowed the green seaweed she was chewing on.

"The seaweed is for eating." She said, taking another bite of the green seaweed. "The sea-healers are for your leg." She said, taking another blue strand of seaweed and wrapping his leg tight. Jack gritted his teeth, battling off the pain. When she was done his leg was neatly wrapped in blue seaweed, marred a bit by some blood that had seeped out of his burn. Korin handed him a strand of seaweed.

"Here, eat this." Jack took the gooey wet strand in his hand, eyeing it suspiciously.

"Is this safe to eat?" He asked. Korin stood up, smacking him on the back of the head.

"Just eat it." She said. Jack smiled, tearing off a piece and instantly wishing that he had some of her root soup.

After resting for an hour or so, watching Korin go up and down the beach, searching for supplies and anything of use, Jack decided that he would try his luck again on his calf. Surprisingly when he put a bit of weight on it his leg actually held up, allowing him to get along at a slow gimp. He decided though that it would be better if he had something to help him, at least for a few days, that way he would not reopen the wound or tare the healing muscles. Making himself a crutch from some of the rocks Jack tried it out, satisfied that his calf was getting the support that it need. When Korin returned once more, carrying more plants, Jack showed her his crutch, demonstrating his improving agility.

"Well at least you had one good idea." She said coldly. Jack was deflated at her words, but he decided that he was due a bit of scorn, counting everything he had dragged her into. He sat down, looking up at the cliff.

"We need to get up there." He said. Korin shrugged her shoulders.

"Why? We're safe here, besides, we've got food to eat and shelter, we should rest until you feel better." She said. Jack shook his head.

"No, we got to make a move towards Ba Sin Sey, we've got no idea how far out we are." Korin looked at him.

"Why do we still need to go to Ba Sin Sey? Azula wasn't there, she merely wanted to lure you that way so she could nab you. Now she thinks we're dead, so we're free to go wherever we please." She said. "Besides, she'll probably be going back to Ba Sin Sey for sure now, especially since she thinks you're out of the picture."

"That's why we need to get to Ba Sin Sey." Said Jack.

"You want to catch her by surprise?" She said. Jack nodded his head.

"Ya, if she thinks we're dead it'll just make it easier to get at her, she'll have her guard down." Korin snorted.

"Hardly, more than likely she'll be in the middle of an all-out assault on the city, she'll be surrounded by fire-nation soldiers. You won't be able to get close to her." Jack thought for a moment, desperately wishing that Sokka was with him at the moment. He would come up with some crazy plan that would be just fool-hardy enough to work.

"Well, if she's surrounded by fire-nation soldiers, what's one more to the count?" He said. Korin frowned.

"You can't seriously be thinking of stealing a uniform to sneak in. There's no way that it would work!" She said. Jack smiled.

"Yes it will, and when the times right I'll be in just the right place to take her out." Korin put her hands on her hips.

"Why do you have to go after her? Why do you have to make her pay?" She asked. Jack shook his head, gazing out into the endless ocean, mirroring his rage.

"Azula holds the key to my past, without her I can never find out what really happened to me, I'll be stuck with haunting images and waking nightmares for the rest of my life. If I can confront her, and get the information I want, perhaps I can lay that side of me to rest and move on, but until I do, nothing is going to stop me from getting at her." Korin shook her head.

"Just don't kill her before you get your answers." She said, standing up. Jack arose as well, propping himself on his crutch. While Korin was gathering together the bundles of seaweed she had accumulated Jack hobbled over to the cliffside, looking up its precipitous wall. This was going to be fun.

Korin came over and sat her supplies down next to him, looking up as well. She whistled.

"This is going to be fun." She said. Jack laughed.

"That's what I was thinking." Korin looked at him.

"So, you want to lead?"

"Sure." Said Jack, taking in a deep breath. He squatted down, his right calf burning, and began to pull down, as if climbing an imaginary rope. Korin followed suit, copying his stance and motion. Soon the stone beneath them cracked and began to rise up, grinding along the cliff-face. Stones and pebbles dropped past them, clattering off their platform. Sweat began to trickle down Jack's brow, his arms burning from the exertion. He looked over at Korin, noticing the redness in her cheeks. It was taxing her as well.

They were half way up the cliff now, rocks continuing to tumble by, the cold, misty wind slapping them in the face. Jack began to shake, trying to use as much of his upper body as possible. If his leg was fine he probably could have done it without breaking a sweat, but with his right leg being in such a state his legs became almost useless in the process. If not for Korin he probably would not have made it up at all.

Thirty feet from the top Jack began to give out. He was panting hard and his right calf was buckling on him. He fell to a knee, still pulling on his invisible rope. They began to slow, their progress inching along. Korin grunted, holding on as best as she could. She made a noise, something between a groan and grumble, not doubt complaining about Jack's lack of participation in the closing stage of their trip.

Finally, and just barely, the two made it all the way up. Jack reached out and pulled forward, using the last visages of his strength to get their platform on solid ground. He collapsed on the ground, panting hard and putting his hands over his head. The sky circled above his head, spinning as he tried to orient himself. Nearby he could hear Korin's labored breath, bent over, sucking at air. It was quite an effort for the pair, but they had managed to assail the cliff, winning a victory that left them both exhausted.

After a while longer of resting Jack rolled over, pushing himself to a sitting position. Sweat poured down his face, running down his neck and back. He wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Well, that was a cake walk." He said, still gasping for air. Korin glared at him, straightening out.

"Next time don't give up at the end, or else I'm dumping your lard butt." She said, grabbing her seaweed and walking past him. Jack suppressed a caustic response, knowing full well that he deserved such hostility from her. Just give it some time, he thought, and she'll come back around.

Forcing himself to his feet Jack grabbed his crutch, leaning heavily on it. He hobbled over to Korin, noticing that the path they were on was slowly narrowing, leading to a winding path that snaked through the sea. Jack cocked his head. Was this the right way to go?

"Isn't Ba Sin Sey inland?" He asked. Korin nodded her head.

"Ya, but the fire-nation controls almost all of the outside routes to the city. The only routes left to Ba Sin Sey are the hidden ferries and the Serpents Pass." Jack could guess which one they were at. Looing ahead at the archway he noticed a sign, which, go figure, read 'Serpents Pass'.

"Shouldn't we take the ferries?" He asked. Korin shook her head.

"No, it's almost impossible to get tickets without the proper paper work, and neither of us has that. Besides, we're already at the Serpents Pass, so why bother walking all the way around to the ferry? Unless you can fly or something." She said. Jack laughed.

"No, I can do a lot of things, flying is not one of them." He said, walking up to her. Korin stayed silent, walking underneath the arch, leading Jack down the ever narrowing path.

The going was slow, as Jack could only hobble so fast, and with the treacherous pitfalls of the cliff constantly present he had to be careful not to place his crutch in the wrong place, lest he wind up at the bottom of the ocean. Korin remained tacit the whole time, speaking only to direct him on the appropriate path or to make him eat some of her seaweed, which he utterly despised. By the time the sun was beginning to set Jack was exhausted, stumbling along the path behind Korin, who still walked with energy to spare. Embarrassed, Jack finally requested that they take a breather, as he could not go on anymore. Korin decided that they would just camp for the night, as they were at a flat point in their journey, the area smooth and away from any cliff-side.

Jack threw his crutch down, immediately falling to the ground and going to sleep. Korin stayed up, sorting through her seaweed and changing out Jack's wrap while he slept. She made two tents, one for Jack and the other for herself, finally retiring to bed herself after a meal of seaweed.

The next morning Jack arose with his calf feeling much better, though cramped. He stretched it out, trying to work the healing muscles. Korin awoke soon after him, crawling out of her tent to find Jack picking at a piece of seaweed, making contorted faces as the salty mess went down his throat. She suppressed a smile.

"Ready to go?" She asked. Jack nodded his head, standing up with his crutch underneath his arm. Korin looked down the path over the area they had traveled the day before.

"Hey." She said, squinting behind them.

"I think we have company." She said, pointing back. Jack turned, blocking the morning light with his hand. There, a few miles back, was a group of people, dotted against the brown cliffside. Jack's heart leapt as he noticed the bright orange and yellow colors of the leading figure. He counted the group quickly. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. No, it was not the right number, maybe someone else liked bright, robust colors. Korin came up to his side.

"What's that thing?" She asked, pointing to a small dot hovering around the leading figure. Jack peered at the dot, noticing how it circled about.

"Is it a bird?" She asked. Jack shook his head.

"No, that's not a bird." He said. It was Momo, and that was Aang walking back there, along with the rest of his gang, and a few extra. What were they doping coming this way? And why were they not on Appa? It did not make sense.

Turning Quickly Jack leveled out the campsite, making sure to gather all of their seaweed, pressing the bunch into Korin's hands.

"Did you do anything else besides make the tents and eat?" He asked. Korin shook her head.

"No, I just did that and went to sleep. Why, who are they?" She asked. Jack bean to hobble forward, down the path.

"People we don't want to run into." He said ambiguously. Korin followed after him, walking right behind him.

"Are they going to be a problem?" She asked. Jack shook his head.

"Only if they catch up to us." He said.

They walked away, leaving behind their pristine campsite. Jack hobbled as quickly as he could, sweat quickly accumulating on his brow. Korin walked ahead of him, keeping her pace up so that he would not catch her with his crutch. The sound of rumbling echoed behind them, giving them pause to stop and turn around. Looking back they saw a cloud of dusts and rocks, falling into the sea several miles back. Something had happened, hopefully they were okay. A pang of guilt tempted Jack to go back and meet up with them, just to make sure that they were okay, but the image of Azula laughing at him crushed the guilt, motivating him to press forward.

Normally Jack would have been overjoyed to see the gang. He had missed them something fierce while he was out and about, hunting down Azula. On several occasions he had wished for their aid, but at the current moment he could not stand seeing them. To run into them would mean revealing his plan, which would then lay his ardent desire to kill Azula out in the open, something that everyone would disagree with. They would try to dissuade him, thus leading him either to lie to them and tell them he would not due it or he would have a falling out with them, screwing their advice and going on anyways. Either way the outcome was not desirable, he figured if he killed Azula before meeting up with them again he could spin some story were it ended up him reacting defensively, thus saving face with the gang.

Whatever his reasoning he could not let them catch up. Luckily for him it seemed that the gang was taking it nice and slow, as they began to diminish from their line of sight the further they progressed into the day. By midday they had vanished all together, allowing Jack to breath out a sigh of relief. Deciding that they had plenty of space between them and the gang Jack told Korin that they would have a break.

Korin sat down on a boulder, looking ahead at a flat stretch of land only a few feet above the sea. She handed Jack a piece of seaweed, taking one for herself from the rope she had woven and placed around her shoulder. They sat silently, snacking on their now dry seaweed, which Jack determined tasted much better than the gooey wet version he had eaten previously. Finally Korin spoke.

"We should take out this flat stretch of land here; that should hold up our tail pretty significantly." She said. Jack nodded his head, pleased by the idea.

"That's pretty good, but how are we going to do it? We can't just take out every single section of path with our Earthbending; that would basically defeat the whole purpose of stalling them." Korin stared out into the sea, watching as the waves battered against the narrow path.

"You do know why they call this the serpents pass, right?" Jack shook his head.

"Can't rightly say that I do." He said. Korin pointed out into the sea.

"That's why." She said. Jack looked at where her finger was pointing, noticing a bump in the water, shining green. It disappeared beneath the water, another bump turning up roughly thirty feet away. A knot developed in Jack's throat.

"You mean that, there's a giant sea monster out here?" He said. Korin nodded her head.

"Yup, people don't know where it came from, some say it's a curse from the spirits, but it's out there. And if you know how to use it right, it's just waiting to be used." Jack's eyes widened.

"You're not serious." He said. Korin turned to him, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"A wrecking ball just waiting for direction." She said. Jack looked at her, then back out to the deep blue sea, searching the waters for the beast.

"Well, how do you propose we do it?"

Half an hour later everything was set. Apparently the creature was attracted by loud noises on the surface of the water. Jack sat at the opposite end of the path, already across. Korin sat at the beginning, making a disturbance with her Earthbending, taking out the beginning of the path as she slowly backed up his way. Jack watched her, realizing that it would have taken hours for them to level the whole thing. Still, he did not like this plan, as it meant that he basically sat on the sideline, watching as Korin put herself in danger.

He watched the surface of the water, waiting for the beasty to show up. The blue and white crests of the waves seemed to hide a beast within every break. His eyes twitched as he waited, the anticipation killing him. Finally, after ten minutes or so, he thought he saw a hint of green moving towards Korin. The urge to cry out to her hit him, but he resisted it, knowing that he might attract the creature his way, and that would not do them any good.

The green streak in the water came up to Korin, one moment silent and stealthy, the next minute crashing through the water and roaring up to its full height. Jack gasped as he saw the serpent extend up, towering fifty feet in the air, its red tongue flicking in the air. Red eyes glared down at Korin, purple and green sparkling along its hood as it puffed out from its neck. It roared at her, swooping down to nab her.

Jack's heart stopped as he watched Korin dive out of the way, a fifteen foot section of the path being cleanly knocked out. She worked her way back like this, throwing an occasional boulder at the serpent to keep it interested. Soon she was halfway there, avoiding the serpents furry at every turn.

Jack was struck by Korin's grace and agility, not having noticed it the other day against Azula. She was controlled, calm, manipulating the whole situation to her advantage. Each movement was with purpose, wasting nothing, not even a breath, lest it aid her in her goal. The closer she got the angrier the creature became, attacking her with renewed furry.

Only thirty feet or so away Korin was preparing herself for the final few dodges when the tables turned. The serpent, noticing Korin's game, took out the path in front of her, cutting her off from her escape route. It then attacked across the rest of the path that she lay on; its whole body came crashing down on the earthen road. Korin dove into the water to avoid it. Earth sunk into the ocean, the path completely gone. Jack moved to the edge of the path, looking for Korin, the serpent nowhere to be seen.

Her head bobbed above the water. She swam towards him, panic in her face. Jack looked about, making sure that the creature was not coming in for another attack. The ocean was silent, waves steadily crashing against the cliff.

Jack looked around; it was too quiet, it was as if the creature had just given up. Korin was about twenty feet out from the end of the path, looking over her shoulder to make sure she was safe. Jack reached out his hand as she came closer.

"You're crazy, you know that right?" He called out to her. She laughed at him, spitting seawater from her mouth.

"Well, I guess that makes me more like you now, doesn't it?" Jack smiled.

He watched as she came in, a broad smile on her face. Something caught his eye, a glint of green beneath the surface. He leaned in, trying to get a better look at it, but it had vanished. Suddenly, without warning, the water beneath Korin disappeared, her body flying up into the air, bound between perilous teeth. She cried out, punching the creature in the mouth as it took her up. Jack cried out, lurching forward. He called up a boulder, tossing it at the serpent, following it with a couple of fireballs, but it was too late. It dove back into the ocean, Korin still in its jaws. She screamed out to him, reaching out a hand. Her cry was suffocated by the water as she vanished beneath the waves, the serpent gone.

Jack fell to his knees, staring out into the sea stunned. Where had it come from? He sat there, willing the serpent to come back with his friend. His friend. This thought hit him as he realized the hopelessness of her situation.

She was his friend, but she was gone now. Tears fell down Jack's face as he buried his head in his hands, sobbing. It had happened so quickly. One instant she was there, smiling and coming in to shore, the next she was clamped in its jaws, disappearing beneath the surf. His heart broke as he tallied up another death to his list. Salty tears fell down into the dirt at his feet, the pain inside making him wish for death.

Why had he let her do it? He should have stopped her, he should have done it himself! He did not need to slow down Aang that bad, they could have just kept moving. But instead he had went along with it, allowing Korin to place herself in danger all because he was afraid of what the gang might think of him. And now. He looked out at the sea, the tumultuous waves carrying a slight tint of red. And now, he was bereaved of his friend, someone whom he had already caused unwarranted amounts of grief too. She had deserved nothing that had happened to her, but she had taken it all with grace. Now she had paid the ultimate sacrifice for someone who belonged locked up in a cage. It was all his fault.

Jack wallowed in his grief for a time, blaming himself for the demise of his newfound friend. Slowly a thought began to permeate his mind. Azula's harsh laugh and taunting smile came to him. He gripped his fingers into fists, the knuckles creaking.

No, it was not his fault, it was hers. If it was not for her Korin would still have a home and family, she would have never come with Jack otherwise. And they would have never gone through the serpents pass if Azula had not attacked them two days ago, they would have had a safe path to Ba Sin Sey.

Jack stood up, his body shaking with rage. Once again Azula had stolen something from him that he had treasured. This was the last time that was going to happen, he promised himself that. He would make her pay. He would go to the walls, find her and kill her. Because she was the reason that Amy was dead, she was the reason that he had suffered so much, and now, she was the reason that Korin was dead. Jack looked up at the sky, imaging Azula's face in the clouds. He would find her, and he would end her.


	4. Winging it

**Chapter IV**

The man struggled in Jack's grasp, trying to turn and face his adversary, but it was too late. Jack twisted his arms, snapping the man's neck with a sickening crack, letting the body slump to the ground. He bent over, striping the body of its uniform and creating a crater to bury it in. Pushing the body in he watched it tumble down to the bottom, burying deep and away from prying eyes. Well, first step of the plan was a success, now for stage two.

Jack turned to the massive drill, lying dormant in the coming darkness. He had made his way over, arriving by nightfall to Azula's encampment, a painfully easy target to spot, even with the light fading. Spying out the stragglers on the outskirts of the camp Jack had picked a man who seemed close enough to his size, but it now became apparent that the man may have been as tall as Jack, but he definitely was not as thick as he was. The uniform fit him well enough, aside from its cling nature and tight joints, but Jack was willing to put up with it as long as it got him close to Azula.

Looking around to make sure that no one had spotted him Jack moved on, jamming the red helmet onto his head to obscure his recognizable red locks. He took in a deep breath, looking out of the black lenses, navigating his way around camp as best he could. Hopefully the man would not be missed until it was too late, but knowing fire-nation regulations he would be missed first thing in the morning, so that was all the time Jack had to get on that drill, the most obvious place for Azula to be. The bustling of the camp helped obscure his roaming, as he searched for a way on.

Standing beneath it he finally got a breath of its daunting power. It stood still in the night, its dark metal gleaming menacingly in the moonlight. A dull hum sounded from within, no doubt the whirring of inner mechanisms, waiting for their opportunity to spring into action. The whole thing was like a giant snake-pillar, slow, yet lethal, its pointed nose searching out its enemies and crushing them. Jack walked up to it, watching as men raced around carrying boxes and weapons on board. He paused, thinking of the odds of him being spotted if he just so happened to carry a case on the drill; what was one more box?

Moving over to the supply dump, located just behind the drill, Jack walked in, the chaos of the tent obfuscating his entrance. Pallets labeled with supplies on them were swiftly being emptied bustling crews, eager to end their nights work and get to bed. Jack walked over to one labeled 'The Drill' and picked one up, moving with the flow of the crowd. He bumped into other soldiers, jostling to get their own jobs done. Irritated muttering echoed out as men ran into each other. A loud crash sounded, followed by yells as two men carrying crates ran into each other, dumping their contents in Jack's path. One of the men started shoving the other, leading to a scuffle right in front of Jack. Swiftly a ring of soldiers developed, jeering and urging the two men on. Punches were thrown, but no fire-bending ensued, an unspoken rule amongst soldiers, it was considered a disgrace to fight a fellow soldier with bending, as it was not as personal as a fist to the face.

Jack tried to move away, but the crowd kept him from falling back. He could try to go straight ahead, but that would take him in the path of the brawling men. The attention gathered doing so, besides the fact he might end up in the fight, was very undesirable. So, instead, Jack just stood there, holding his crate of who knows what, hoping that someone would break up the fight soon.

The crash of a blue fireball between the two soldiers marked its end, which immediately made Jack wish that it was still going on. Azula walked into the tent, her fingers smoking. A menacing look jumped from her golden eyes, the look of a predator searching for prey. She zeroed in on the two brawlers, panting heavily and bleeding from several cuts. Coming up to them she looked at them both, her eyes sparking with disapproval.

"What, pray tell, are you two men doing?" She asked, her sinister voice commanding silence. The two men dropped their heads, avoiding her gaze.

"You could not have been fighting, surely that wasn't it. I mean, why would you be fighting each other, the night before the greatest event in the history of our nation?" She said, pacing around the two. Jack tried shrinking back into the crowd, but they kept him up, every man wanting as much space between himself and Azula as possible.

"We are about to accomplish a feat that will go down in legend. Ba Sin Sey, the impenetrable city, the unconquerable fortress, a dazzling beacon of freedom for all those who withstand the oppression of the fire-nation. For over fifty years it has stood so, giving our enemies courage and fuel to fight on in their futile effort to expunge us from what is rightfully ours. Tomorrow shall mark the turning of an era, a time, when our enemies shall have no hope, and in that time the war shall come to its inevitable end, with us, as the rightful rulers of the world, taking our place as the greatest nation in history. So, please, correct me if I'm wrong, but, you weren't fighting, were you?" She asked, her eyes darting about. The two men remained silent, their eyes staring at the ground. Azula turned to the crowd, her arms outstretched.

"Tell me, my loyal soldiers, what was happening, will no one inform their princess of the misdeeds of their fellow soldier?" She said, meeting everyone's gaze with unshakable austerity. Walking around she came to a stop, pointing a finger.

"You, soldier, speak up, what happened here." Jack almost swore, sweat pouring down his covered face as her finger rested on him. He thought through his options quickly. To try and take her out here was pure suicide, hands down; he could try and stay quiet, maybe she would move on to someone else, but that was unlikely, as she was still currently staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Well?" She asked. Yup, definitely had to strike number two off the list. The only option left to him was to speak out, and risk being caught. He opened his mouth, moving to speak, but his lips were dry. His throat caught on something, producing a slight squeaking sound, bringing Azula's mouth into an amused smile.

"What's the matter corporal, avatar got your tongue?" She asked. Jack cleared his throat, the box in his arms feeling very heavy at the moment. He wished that he was anywhere but there at the moment. Moving to speak again he was cut off by one of the men who had been fighting.

"Mam, we had been fighting, Mam." He said. Azula turned, a victorious smirk on her face.

"Really? Well that is sad, isn't it? That you would turn on your comrades in such a way? Don't worry though, I'm sure that they'll be sensitive at your court martial." The two men stood there, mouths agape.

"But Mam." Started one. Azula held up a hand, silencing him.

"Not a word more. You have turned on your fellow soldier, therefore you have betrayed your country. Hopefully they'll find you somewhere nice to stay. You know, I heard that there's been a few more openings at the Boiling Rock." She said, strolling out. The whole tent sat silent, stunned by her sentence. Azula turned, looking back at them.

"Sergeant, arrest these men. The rest of you, get back to work!" Immediately the scuttle of feet ensued, the racket of the tent being restored to its normal tone, save the sound of speech, which had died down to a minimal. The two brawlers were led away silently, their glum faces disappearing outside the tent. Jack breathed out a sigh of relief. First, he had not been caught, and second, he learned that he was basically at the bottom of the food chain here, and so the man he had killed would not be noticed for a while.

Quickly he resumed his venture with the box, making his way over to the drills entrance. He walked up, his boots clinking against the metal. His body shuttered as he entered, feeling as if he was locked inside a metal tomb. Something was going to happen here, some foul portent rested in the air, but he could not place his finger on it.

Jack ducked his way around a corner, looking around to make sure that no one was about. He discarded of his box, dumping it down some pipe labeled 'Slurry pipe-line'. The pipe was empty, save his broken box of metal gears that lay on the bottom. Shrugging his shoulders he closed the lid, thinking that it had no actual use, and therefore would guard his broken box against inquisitive eyes.

He navigated his way around the drill, making sure to avoid all contact with anyone higher rank than him, as they could order him to do something, something he did not know how to do. Eventually he came across a nice nook that seemed well enough removed to allow him to wait until the next day. Settling in he looked about, his right side obscured by piping and hydraulics. His head rested against the warm pipes, vibrations running through the whole drill like some living organism. Sleep started to encroach upon him, having not rested since the night before. The taxing ventures of the day came upon him, taking its toll. Korin's loss was once again new, washing over him and covering him with grief. Tears slowly trickled down his face as he remembered her last screams, reaching out to him for aid, though there was none he could give. In this way he fell asleep, awakening to haunting dreams of her death.

A rough hand shook Jack awake. Without even realizing it his hand dropped down, reaching for something. Drawing his knife Jack sprang up, stabbing the man in front of him in the gut, covering his mouth and pressing him against the wall. A black, mechanics mask blocked Jack's view of the man's face. He drew his blade out and sunk it in again, and again, aiming for the man's lungs. Weakly the man fought back, shoving at Jack, but his slim frame was no match for Jack's bulk, and soon his head dropped, his body lacking life. Jack let the body fall to the ground, catching himself. Looking from side to side he made sure that no one was around.

He bent down, looking at the mechanic. No doubt he had just been awakening him to try and prevent him from getting in trouble, as if he wanted to just report him he would have just gotten a superior officer. Jack groaned, wiping his knife on the bodies pant leg. Why did this have to happen? No doubt this was a decent fellow, just trying to look out for a comrade, and he had received a prison shanking for it. Shrugging his shoulders Jack dismissed the nagging thoughts. Had I tactually been someone of importance he would have been found out, reacting the way he did was the only conceivable option. Besides, he was his enemy, wasn't he?

Jack turned the man over, making sure not to smear any blood on his uniform. Thinking quickly Jack began to drag the body back towards the Slurry pipe-line. The sound of boots marching down the hall killed that idea. He picked the body up in his arms, thanking his stars that the floor was grating, thus letting most of the blood to run down and out of sight, though some of it had still slickened the ground.

Jack ducked into an empty room, the bodies head clanging against the door. Quickly Jack shut the door behind him, searching the little closet for somewhere to stash the body. _Just one day_. He thought, that was all he needed, just one day to get at Azula. He looked around, noticing all the cleaning supplies, well, at least the body would not be smelled for a while. Deciding that there was nowhere to shove the body, as the place was just a few shelves and racks of towels, Jack set the body down on the floor, grabbing a bucket and towel. Filling up the bucket with hot water he threw the rag in it, closing the door behind him. He went over to his mess, slamming the bucket down and falling to his knees, scrubbing furiously at the grates, trying to clear away the blood. Water sploshed around as he dunked his rag in the bucket, happy that the light inside was red, thus preventing prying eyes to notice that his water was stained the same color.

The boots came closer, signaling the arrival of someone around the corner. Jack kept his head down, scrubbing away at the grates. Hopefully they would just walk by, maybe throw in a disparaging remark or two, but ultimately leave him alone. He held his breath as the figures rounded the corner.

_Ohh, come on_! He thought as Azula, Mai, and Ty-Lee appeared, walking straight towards him. His heart beat spiked, sweat pouring from every crevice of his body. Gritting his teeth he kept his hands steady, his body fighting him with a mélange of fear and utter rage. Azula walked up to him, raising an eyebrow.

"You see Mai, Ty-Lee, this is what I was talking about. Men who are not afraid to dedicate themselves to their tasks, no matter how pointless they seem to be. Look at him here." She said, motioning at Jack.

_Please don't_. He thought. Mai and Ty-Lee stopped, looking at Jack, who kept his head down and scrubbed away, cleaning every inch of ground he could.

"Notice that he is not cleaning floors, but grates. What is the point of cleaning a grate? The water just runs straight through it, the mess is already minimal, and the scrubbing obnoxious, as each stroke gets caught in the holes. But this soldier does not care, he has been assigned this task and does it with due diligence. If we had more men like him this war would already be over." Said Azula, continuing on past Jack. _You bet the war would already be over you pretentious snob_. Mai followed suit, yawning as she passed by. Ty-Lee followed too, leaning down to Jack.

"I think it looks great!" She said, chipper as a bird.

_Ya, and I think you'll look great with a few teeth missing_. Thought Jack. Ty-Lee walked by, snagging her foot on the back of Jack's heel. Without thinking Jack spun around and caught her, stopping her before she could flip, or cartwheel, or whatever fancy trick she was going to do. He stared awkwardly at her, holding her arm and stomach, like a figure skater. Ty-Lee smiled at him, her white teeth shining.

"Why thank you young sir! Those were some pretty quick moves there." She said. Jack stood up, helping her to an upright position. He grunted, nodding his head.

"What's your name?" She asked. Jack held on to his wet rag tightly, his mind racing. He could shove the rag in her mouth, pressing her against the wall. Then, when she started to thrash, he could let her spring forward, catching her with his arms and snapping her neck like a trig. That would give him enough time to throw a knife at Mai, who would not see it coming. It would be a free-for-all against Azula, but at least he had a better chance than in the tent.

Preparing himself Jack took in a deep breath, the rag in his hand tightening in his grasp. He was about to make his move, targeting Ty-Lee's broad smile, the perfect place to shove a rag, when Azula called out.

"Ty-Lee, here, now!" She called. Ty-Lee turned, looking back at Jack.

"Sorry, got to run, maybe we can continue this some other time!" She called, running after Azula.

_Ya, sure we can, with me knocking your teeth out_. Jack bent his head back over and continued his scrubbing, making sure to clean every trace of the blood from the ground, checking over his work twice before he was completely satisfied. After drying it off Jack opened the closet, throwing the cleaning supplies on the body and shutting the door. He took a glove off, his hand glowing white as he grabbed the handle. It melted in his grasp, molding to the shape of his palm like putty.

_There, that ought to buy me some time_. He thought, walking off. Jack decided that the best place for him to be was as close to Azula as possible. If he was a constant presence around her then he had a better chance of getting the drop on her, plus her surprising him again would be unlikely if he was constantly watching her. Making his way towards what he believed was the front of the drill he came across the mess hall, people flowing in and out. Trying to step out around the flow of people Jack found himself trapped in the mob. Pushing and grunting he made his way through, getting a few unkind comments, to which he just responded with icy silence. The less people who heard his voice the better.

After getting past the mess hall Jack decided that he should probably find out what time it was. He needed to know when the drill was supposed to be fired up, that way he would know when Azula was making her way up to the command post. While he did not know where the command post was he was pretty sure that he could find it without too much difficulty.

A thunderous noise descended on him, the whirring of gears and cranking of pistons ringing out in the metal deathtrap. He looked around, trying to see if he had bumped into anything. Noticing no dials or switches that he could have bumped into he decided it was best to vacate the area, just in case someone came in to investigate the disturbance.

Leaving the area Jack found the noise following him, humming in every section of the drill that he went in. Suddenly he realized that the drill was running full steam, making its way towards the wall. A few moments later his thoughts were confirmed.

"Congratulations crew! The drill is operating perfectly! Now nothing stands between us and victory!" Jack was shocked. They were moving already? But it was not even day time yet. Or perhaps it was. He did not know how long he had slept, maybe it was tomorrow already, which meant that Azula was already up in the command deck. Well, that made things easier for him.

Roaming about Jack searched for some sort of schematics or directions to the drill. Unfortunately it seemed that they did not post maps around to help would be assassins to the bridge. He could try going back to the mess hall to chat it up with some of the men, but that would put him at risk of being discovered, plus it would seem rather odd for a soldier who was supposed to be on the drill to not know his way around. Scratching the back of his neck Jack shrugged. He really did not have much of a plan at the moment, maybe he should try winging it.

Jack continued to move about the drill, poking his head in cabins and walking up stairwells. An hour passed this way without much incident, being given a few orders to fetch something or do something, which he merely responded yes sir to, leaving the area with due haste and forgetting the request. Fatigue slowly starting to set in and his ire already at the breaking point Jack decided it was time for a break.

Finding an empty bunk room he went in, sitting down on the bottom bunk. He sighed, wishing that he could take off his helmet to run his fingers through his hair. Looking about the cabin he noticed that it was unoccupied, which meant he had plenty of time to figure out a plan of sorts.

Putting aside his problem of finding the command deck itself Jack focused on the assault part of the plan. No doubt there was going to be a lot of soldiers up there with Azula, as well as Mai and Ty-Lee. Taking them head on was just stupid, while stabbing Azula in the back was not satisfying enough, he had to see the pain and shock in her eyes.

Perhaps he could wait until Azula retired to her chambers, then he could follow her and confront her there, thus giving him the intimacy that he so greatly desired as well as allowing for a chance of success. The problem with that is that he would have to follow her without being noticed, and if Azula was walking alone back to her room it would seem pretty odd if a lonely corporal was tailing her. No doubt she would figure out what was going on and set up her own trap for him, thus defeating the purpose of following her.

Jack sighed, leaning back on the bunk. Planning was so difficult, he much rather just take orders from people and let someone else do all the thinking. It was easier to follow a plan than to make it. The hum of the drill mixed with the pounding of the pistons to make a harmonious noise, lulling Jack to sleep.

When he awoke he found someone in the room with him. Instead of reacting violently like he had last time he merely sat still, as if still asleep. The figure sat across from him, head against the wall, staring at him.

"So, Jacky boy, still after Azula hmm?" Jack sat up, stunned.

"Who are you?" He asked, realizing that any chance for him denying his persona had just flown out the window with that statement. The figure had disappeared, without a trace, vanishing right before his eyes. Jack shook his head, trying to focus.

What had just happened? He wondered, looking around at the empty room. He put his head in his hands, taking off the helmet and massaging his forehead, screwing the consequences.

"Not a good move kid, someone might see you." Jack stood up, knocking his head against the top of the bunk. He swore, rubbing the back of his head, looking at the room, only to find it empty. He sat back down.

"Joshua?" He said, the voice a haunting reminiscent of his memories.

"Put two and two together hmm boy-o?" The voice said. Jack stood up, his helmet thunking to the ground.

"You might want that." Said Joshua. Jack scanned the room quickly, discerning that it was empty. He bent over and picked up his helmet, jamming it back on his head.

"Where are you, what are you?" He said. I'm right here. Said his right hand. Jack raised it, turning it over with a befuddled look.

"I don't understand." He said. Joshua appeared in the room, a thirteen year old boy, wispy blond hair and sharp blue eyes. His lanky frame, even at such a young age, stretched high, falling just short of Jack's six foot. A mischievous smile sat across his lips, his thin eyebrows dancing on his forehead.

"Jacky boy, you never did get it did you?" He said. Jack wanted to step up, to touch this image before him, but he was afraid that if he moved he would disrupt its fragile state, and thus destroy his chance of reaching back into the past.

"Don't worry, I ain't going anywhere, I've been with you all this time, I ain't going to leave you now." Said Joshua, or at least Jack's projection of Joshua.

"That's right, I'm really not Joshua, just figured it would make it easier on you to talk to a friend than yourself." He said, or, more accurately, Jack said.

"Great, I'm talking to myself." Muttered Jack. Joshua, or Jack, however you want to spin it, laughed, walking up to him and running his hand through Jack's shoulder.

"What, did you think that you weren't talking to yourself when it was you stomach? Or heart or hands? Face it, whether you want to admit it or not Azula broke you kid. She got inside your head and danced around. She scrambled your mind and put in her own ideas, her own plans, her own morals, and you've been dancing around to her little jig the whole time." Jack turned away from the image.

"No I haven't! I've never given in and I never will!" The image popped up in front of him.

"Yes you have." Said Joshua.

"No I have not!" Yelled Jack, throwing a punch at the image. He went straight through it, landing a solid blow on the metal bunk. Swearing he grabbed his fist, looking around for the projection. Joshua stood behind him, a smirk on his face.

"You really don't think she broke you? Look at you! You just took a swing at your best friend! I know I'm just a projection and all but it sure didn't seem to slow you down any!" Jack paced around the figure, taking off his helmet and throwing it on the ground.

"Shut up, just shut up will you?!" He said. Joshua shook his head.

"No, this isn't like you! You're trying to kill Azula! You thought about knocking Ty-Lee's teeth out! You're putting innocents in danger for your own selfish desires!" Jack shook his head, covering his ears.

"No, no, no." He said, muttering to himself. The voice still echoed through his head, undisturbed by his covered ears.

"You put Korin in danger going after Azula, you're putting the people in Ba Sin Sey in danger by letting this drill continue! You should be trying to disable this drill, not pursuing Azula!" Jack kept shaking his head.

"Get out, get out, get out." He said, looking at Joshua. Joshua stared back at him, his eyes pleading.

"Jack, this is not you! Give up this futile chase, cut your losses now! Forgive her and move on! That is what you would do, that is what you should do!" Jack stood still, fighting the raging torrent within him. Anger, rage, and chagrin swirled within him, and not all of it was directed at Azula.

"I can't, I have to get her." He said, to himself.

"Why? Because she killed Amy? Because she killed my sister? You don't even know if that's true! You're chasing after her for something that may just be a lie!" Jack shook his head.

"Not like you would be doing anything different if you were in my shoes." He said. Joshua shook his head, a wave rippling through him as the projection changed to reflect Jack. Jack looked at himself, gazing at his broad shoulders, thick red hair, and the sweat glistening off his brow as he melted in the suit.

"I am you kid." Said the voice. Jack turned, closing his eyes tight.

"No, no, no! You're not me!" The image appeared in front of him.

"I am you! I was rescued by Sokka, Toph, and Aang. Katara saved my life after Mai threw a knife in my side. I told Sokka that I was a diamondbender, then later Aang told me how my race was hunted down and killed. I met Korin, I watched as she mourned the loss of her family, and it was I who stood by helplessly as she was taken away by the serpent." Tears rolled down Jack's face as he listened to the projection.

"Then why don't you do this? Why don't you take over?" The projection shook its head, changing back to Joshua.

"I'm only a voice in your head, the grumbling in your stomach. I can't lead you unless you follow." Jack took a calming breath, trying to focus himself.

"You've been going down the wrong path kid. Vengeance ain't going to get you anything, except more misery. You're not even going for answers anymore, you don't want to know if it was Azula who killed Amy, you just want someone to take your frustrations out on. It doesn't have to be this way." Jack looked at him, tears dripping down his face.

"Then how can it be?" He asked.

"You can forgive her, you can disable this drill, and you can move on." Jack looked at Joshua, then he looked down at his hands. They shook slightly, his emotions getting the better of him. He sighed, looking up at Joshua.

"I liked you better as my stomach." He said, grabbing his helmet and shoving it back on. Joshua reached out to him.

"Jack, please." Jack held up his hand.

"You're from my head, and you'll do as I say, and now I say be silent!" The projection looked at him wistfully, an invisible wind blowing him away, leaving Jack once again alone in the room. He shook his head, stepping out.

_Back to the plan_. He thought, pushing his conscience down somewhere where he thought he would never see it again. He could not afford to be slowed down again by his sappy morals. It did not matter whether or not Azula had killed Amy, she had to go down, and not just for Jack's sake but the world's as well.

He traced his way back towards the mess hall. Out of options and running low on time he decided that he would just ask someone where the command deck was, then afterwards he would probably kill him or something, he was not thinking that far in advance.

After five minutes or so of running around Jack came back to the mess hall, finding it almost empty. He went in, the smell of greasy food and rotten vegetables permeating the air. Walking around he found a lonely individual, munching down on a stew that Jack would prefer not to know what was inside. Jack went over and sat next to him, keeping his helmet on. The man looked up at him, his small body stinking of oil and mechanical fluid.

"What do you want?" Asked the man testily. Jack looked around, noticing that no one else was looking their way. He leaned over, beckoning the man closer. The guy leaned in, unsure. A knife flashed in Jack's hand as he pressed it to the man's neck, grabbing him by his well-groomed goatee. A choked cry came out from his lips.

"Shh." Hissed Jack, moving his hand to the back of the man's neck.

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll let you go." He said. The man shook his head.

"You're crazy, you'll never get away with this!" Jack pressed the knife against his skin, blood beginning to trickle out of a small cut.

"That may be so but that won't stop me from killing you before I get caught." He said. Fear danced around in the man's eyes, noticing the seriousness in Jack's voice.

"Alright, alright, just don't hurt me." The man pleaded. Jack smiled behind his mask.

"Where's the command deck?" He asked. The man hesitated, being given a reassuring shake by Jack.

"Tell me!" He demanded. The man stuttered, fumbling over his words.

"Left, go left outside the mess hall. Three doors down take another left; that will lead you to a stairwell which goes up to the command center. It's sure to be elevated at the moment." Jack was not happy. He had been wondering down that corridor earlier, yet he had totally passed over the door.

"Let's hope you're right." Said Jack, dragging his knife across the man's throat. He pushed him down into his stew, letting the blood drain into the bowl, the man struggling slightly before the life drained completely out of him.

Jack arose, knowing that he had a limited amount of time before this body was found not to be sleeping in this dark corner but rather dead. He walked hastily out, following the man's instructions to the command deck. Two guards asked for his clearance, but after noticing that no one was coming down the hall he gave them a knife to the throat instead, leaving the bodies on the floor. Opening the door he flew up the steps, knowing that at any second he would be discovered. A horn blared out announcing his demise.

"Congratulations crew! The drill has successfully made it to the wall. Let the countdown to victory begin!" Jack stood stunned for a second, surprised that he had not been found out. He raced up the steps, glad that he came across no one else until he reached the top door.

Jack tossed his helmet down, screwing everything and pressing his ear against the door. The muffled sounds of conversation came through the door. He could not be certain but he believed he heard Azula's voice in there. Taking in a deep breath he put his hand on the door handle, only to find it locked.

Jack gritted his teeth, taking off his gloves. He could bend without them, but he preferred to feel the heat leaping directly from his fingertips.

He took a step back, white flames curling about his hand. If he did not get this on the first tried he was basically done for, not that if he did get it on the first try it would make much a difference.

_I wish there was such a thing as metal bending_. He thought, as he punched at the door. An enormous white flame enveloped the door, blasting it off its hinges and knocking it back, crashing into two guards behind it. He sprung into the room, looking around quickly to gauge the situation.

Numerous guards, turning towards him. Several techies running the drill. Someone in a fancy robe standing in the middle, directing the others. And finally, Azula, sitting on her thrown, Mai and Ty-Lee beside her. An arrogant smirk came across her face.

"Decided to join us did you darling?" She said. Mai and Ty-Lee looked surprised to see Jack there, but as usual Azula looked totally in control.

Jack took out two guards who ran for him, a fireball blast and slash of his knife doing the trick. The rest of the guards hung back, waiting for orders. Mr. Fancy looked worriedly at Azula.

"Seize him!" Ordered fancy robes. Azula held up her hand.

"Wait." She said, the guards coming to a halt. Jack contained a smile. Good, her arrogance was playing towards his favor. She stood up, brushing back a lock of raven black hair.

"So, you've come all this way hmm? I knew that you weren't dead." She said. Jack walked towards her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Didn't figure you would." He said pointedly.

"Let me guess, you're here to avenge yourself, right? To kill me for the past wrongs I have done unto you, to end my vileness and save humanity from suffering underneath my thumb." She said.

"Actually I just want to kill you." Said Jack. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You just want to kill me? Jack, killing out of pure hatred, what have you come to? Not even covering it up with some ulterior moral or duty? I thought that you would be saying that it was the right thing to do, or that I had to be stopped." Ty-Lee sat up.

"I actually thought that you would be coming for your friend." She chimed in. Jack froze, looking at Ty-Lee. Azula glanced back at her sharply, silencing her with her disapproving scowl.

"What friend?" Asked Jack, his heart jumping in his chest. Azula turned to him, perturbed.

"I wanted to keep that as the crushing blow but I guess I might as well tell you now, considering the fact loud-mouth spilled it." She said, Ty-Lee giving a nervous smile.

"We have that little tramp you've been traveling around with. One of our patrols found her washed up on the beach, barely alive. I'm surprised that you weren't out looking for her, I left you a little note along the beach telling you where she was. Apparently you had given up on her." Jack swallowed hard.

"No, that's a lie, Korin's dead!" He said. Azula laughed, caustically.

"Is that her name now? Well, I just call her tramp, or whatever else degrading disparage I can think of at the moment." She said. Jack felt the rage building inside him.

"Where is she?" He hissed, gritting his teeth. Azula smiled.

"Ohh, I don't know if you want her now. She really is not all that well, she might frighten you." Said Azula. Jack shook his head, trying to focus on what his goal was.

"Never mind that, I'll get her when I'm done here." He said, his fingers glowing white.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" He said. Azula put her finger up to her chin, thinking about it for a second.

"No, I think not." She said, snapping her fingers. Immediately the guards sprang into action, coming at Jack. Ty-Lee and Mai also sprang at him.

Jack spun around and delivered a few fireballs at the guards, rolling out of the way. He leapt up, throwing blow after blow at the advancing wave. A stream of orange fireballs came at him, forcing him to duck. Rolling underneath the oncoming wave he ran at the guards, throwing a fire arc and slashing at a man's throat. Kicking, punching, bending, and biting, Jack fought as best he could, but there was too many. Hot pincers bit into his arm as he lost control of his left hand. He turned and gave Ty-Lee a foot to the face, which she deftly avoided, punching him in the sternum.

Jack fell to the ground, his body pummeled. Azula snapped her fingers, bringing the assault to a stop. She walked up to him as he hacked on the ground, coughing up blood. Her pointed boots clicked across the metal, stopping right next to his face.

"Well, well, well. That was fun, wasn't it?" She said. Jack turned, forcing himself to a sitting position. His eye twitched as he tried staring at her.

"You're ohh so good at losing, darling, but really this game has got to come to an end. I have more important things to do at the moment." She looked at him once more, turning her back.

"Bind him." She said. Thoughts crashed through Jack's head as the guard moved in. He had failed, again. Korin was bound somewhere, the drill was going to penetrate the city, and Azula was to be victorious once more. Jack hung his head. He had been played, from the very beginning.


	5. The poor district

**Chapter V**

"War minister, a mechanic has been frozen and his schematics stolen!" The whole room froze as the announcement echoed around the bridge.

"War minister, one of the support beams has been cut clean through!" The war minister turned, several of the guards doing so as well. Jack acted quickly, knowing that this was his only chance to escape. The only one to anticipate was Azula, but by then it was too late.

Jack rolled backwards, lunching himself into the air with his hands. He shot a fireball at the group, then turned towards the windows. Taking three steps he jumped, shooting a fireball and shattering the glass. He shielded himself as he flew through the glass into the open air. A blue fireball chased him as he shot out of the window, plummeting towards the ground. Air rushed past him as he descended, his mind reeling as he realized that the command deck was extremely high off the ground. Acting fast Jack bent the earth beneath him, making a slide of sorts. With a harsh thud he landed on the slide, tumbling to the ground. Pain swept through his body and his vision blurred, but he did not have time to wait, Azula would be after him. Regaining his feet Jack stumbled towards what he thought was the wall.

He looked at the drill, then beneath it, noticing a lone figure bending a pillar of earth into the underbelly of the beast, trying to hold it back, but she was already almost at the wall, soon there would be nothing for her to do. Sure enough within another couple of seconds the pillar broke and she was back up against the wall. Jack could see that it was Toph, muttering something to herself. She walked up about ten yards and stated again, not really knowing whether or not she was making a difference. To be honest, she really was not. The mass of the drill combined with its forward inertia and steam engines would make it impervious to such a maneuver, one might as well be trying to tickle it to death with a feather.

Jack made sure to keep his distance, not wanting to attract the blind earthbenders attention. A pang of guilt shot through him as he saw her struggle, thinking perhaps that he could go and lend her aid, but he decided against it, rather continuing on. He made his way to the wall, trudging over the terrain, a sharp pain in his right hip slowing him down considerably. It took him almost half an hour to reach the wall. Pausing for a second he looked back, a whining noise emanating from the drill. A flash of blue appeared on top of the drill, then a screeching crack as mud shot everywhere. The drill whined and died, its engines ceasing and the gears no doubt flying apart. Shaking his head Jack moved on.

He had done nothing to help bring the drill down, nothing at all. At best he might have provided a distraction of sorts, but in all honesty Azula probably already knew that he was on the drill and so she would have been able to keep her eyes peeled for the gang as well. Sighing he looked up. He was pretty useless wasn't he?

Shaking it off, he focused on the obstacle at hand, getting up the wall. It would take a little bit of effort, but it would not be as hard as when he had scaled the wall with Korin.

Jack froze. Korin, she was back on the drill wasn't she? She really was not dead, but captured. He looked back at the drill, noticing the river of mud that lay everywhere. Somewhere, back in that steel deathtrap, was Korin, chained, and stranded. He had to go back for her!

Taking a few steps back towards the drill Jack froze. Was she really back there? The golden rule that Jack lived his life by was that Azula always lied, so was this one of those times? It could be a trap, Azula knew that he might escape and so had planted this seed of doubt within his mind in order to draw him back to her. Hang on though, if Azula did fabricate it how did she know that Korin had been taken by the sea serpent?

Jack turned around, biting his knuckle. What should he do? If he went and Korin was not there he was liable to get himself caught once again. Even if she was there it would still be a trap, Azula would be planning something even as he sat there.

He sat down, his chest heaving with the torrent of emotions inside. A mélange of distrust and guilt rushed through him as he tried deciding on what to do. Looking back over, he saw a platform moving up the wall, no doubt the gang making their way back to the top of the wall. Jack thought of something for a second and reached a decision. Since Aang was over there, and he had taken the drill out, they would then move to go investigate the drill. If Korin was really in there, they would find her, and she would be a lot safer with them than with him.

Jack smacked himself upside the head, his mind still not liking the idea.

"Don't leave her kid." Jack turned, seeing Joshua sitting across from him.

"Just leave me alone why don't you?" He responded. Joshua shook his head.

"How many times do I have to explain this, I am you." Jack spat.

"Ya, well, guess what, you're not wanted here. I already know what I'm going to do." Joshua laughed.

"Ohh really, and what's that, go after Azula again?" He said. Jack waved him off.

"You know what, no, I'm not. I think it's about time I took a break from that little venture." He said. "I'm going to have a break in Ba Sin Sey." Joshua raised an eyebrow.

"Ohh really? A break in Ba Sin Sey, hmm? And what, pray tell, are you going to do there?" Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, uhmm, maybe get a job, you know, somewhere to stay for a while." Joshua stood up, walking over to him.

"Ya, that's a great idea, let's get some sense of normal living again, you know, a little flat, a job in construction, or perhaps we could be a gardener!" Jack frowned, detecting the tell-tale lilt of sarcasm.

"Look, we both now why you want to go to Ba Sin Sey." Jack turned away.

"Ohh ya, and what's that?" He asked. Joshua appeared in front of him.

"You just want to establish a new base to go after Azula." He said. Jack turned around, only to find Joshua standing in front of him.

"Okay, so what if I do? She has Korin, what am I supposed to do, leave her?" Joshua shrugged his shoulders.

"You're going to leave her." He said.

"And you told me to get her!" Retorted Jack, crossing his arms.

"Why does it seem every way I turn I'm conflicted on what to do?" He asked. Joshua tapped his chin in mock thought.

"Well, let me see. Could it be that your pursuit of vengeance has destroyed almost all of who you were? You're not the person you used to be." Jack threw up his hands.

"Ya, well that means you aren't who you used to be either. So what exactly is your point?" Joshua flittered in and out of view, his appearance becoming ghostly and transparent.

"I don't know, but until you're ready to start listening, I think I'm going to go." Jack looked once again at the phantom, the apparition called up from the recesses of his mind.

"I don't need you." Said Jack, walking back over to the wall. Silence was the only response he received, and when he turned around the image was gone, without a trace. Jack grunted, pleased that at last he would get some peace and quiet. If he had to have a conflict within himself he preferred it to stay in his head, or between his mind and stomach, this whole arguing with an apparition thing was getting really old really fast.

Looking back up the wall he started pulling himself up, taking his time so as not to attract attention, and to make sure he did not make a mistake. He reached the top without incident.

He looked along the sides real quick, satisfied that there were no guards about. Hopping over the side he kept low, moving quickly over to the other side. With one last glance back he jumped over, knowing full well this time the height he was going to have to deal with.

Wind rippled his cheeks as he descended to the green ground beneath him. There was a rush at the back of his head as adrenaline began to pour into his system, excited by the near fatal experience he was now involved with. Just as before he made himself a nice earthen slide, this time landing on it with a bit more care. His right hip groaned with pain upon impact, but other than that the ride was a whole lot smoother. As his feet touched the ground he took out the slide, leveling it back down so as to cover up any traces of his descent.

He turned and looked about the landscape, noticing the smooth, green, farmland that dotted most of the region up till a second wall. Jack groaned, tired of walls, and cliff-walls, and walking. It was all getting the better of him, for once he just wanted something simple. The sound of stone grating against stone attracted his attention. Looking over to his right Jack noticed an elevated platform with what appeared to be giant boxes with people in them, moving about with the aid of the earthbenders in the back. _What in the world is that_?

Moving closer Jack determined that he was going to hitch a ride, as it seemed that the boxes were heading towards the city, his destination. Making sure to remain unseen Jack made his way to the base of one of the support pillars. Using his Earthbending he made little steps up the pillar, walking up and making them vanish as he ascended. Upon reaching the top he stayed low, waiting until a group of boxes began to pass by. Taking in a deep breath he calmed himself, trying to not think of the fact that if he missed he would be jelly beneath a couple tons of moving earth.

Shaking off the morbid thoughts he timed it, jumping in right between the last two boxes, so as to avoid the earthbenders in the very back. Breathing out a sigh of relief Jack brushed himself off, his hands shaking slightly. Well, he was not jelly at the moment, something that was definitely a plus. He looked out at the landscape passing by him below, breathing out a sigh of relief. Maybe he would find a job and take a break, this whole hunting Azula thing was pretty taxing, besides, it was not like he was good at it or anything, she was playing him at every turn.

Shaking his head Jack turned to go in the last box, bumping into someone.

"Pardon." He mumbled, keeping his head low and stepping by.

"That's okay." Responded a familiar voice. Jack quickly stepped into the rear box, closing the door behind him before Katara could peg him. He risked a glance back, noticing her staring with a befuddled look into his box. She moved to go after him, but Aang called out to her, distracting her. Eventually she moved on, giving one last confused look in Jack's direction. Breathing a sigh of relief Jack slumped down in a seat.

The person next to him turned, an elderly lady with grey hair falling down to her shoulders. She looked at him with knowing eyes.

"An ex deary?" She asked. Jack looked at her, then back at Katara, putting two and two together. He smiled.

"Not exactly, it's complicated." The old lady reached out a wrinkled hand, patting his, a soft smile on her face.

"It always is. Don't worry, if she comes by I won't tell her anything." Jack smiled.

"Thanks." Jack rode out the rest of the ride in the back box, not wanting to risk running into anyone else he might know, which albeit was a very limited number but it seemed that the majority of them were only a couple of boxes up, so he stayed put, laying low.

Eventually the box came to a stop in what appeared the poor distract, ragtag shacks set up everywhere with a lot of dark alleys, good area to get mugged at. The putrid smell of low life wafted up to Jack's nostrils, a strangely appealing aroma. Greasy food mixed with rotting garbage created a strong odor that would drive away most sane people, but not a lot of sane people live in the bottom recess of society. For Jack, it felt like coming home, a secure, familiar feeling coming over him. Jack reached up to his breast pocket, realizing that he had lost his notebook a few days back. Ohh well, not like he really needed it anyways.

Checking around to make sure that none of the gang was watching Jack got off, walking away from the station. One last glance back made him duck, seeing Sokka's face in one of the forward boxes, his eyebrow were raised in his direction. Hurriedly Jack shrank into the crowd, blocking his line of sight with the moving boxes. No cry followed him, nor any shouts, so after a while he felt safe.

Sighing Jack stood upright, watching as the boxes moved away overhead. The hustle and bustle of street life came to him, people walking past, bumping into him without so much as a pardon. He took in a deep breath, a smile coming across his lips. This was how he liked it; sure the woods were nice and all, but he was a city kid, born to roam about the vast metropolises that dotted the landscape. Here he could find work, housing, and meaning in only a short while. Speaking of work he saw a sign on a teashop, _help wanted_. His luck seemed to be changing already.

_Well, might as well start here_. Spitting in his hands he slicked back his thick red hair, taking in a deep breath. He walked up to the door, a simple one piece carved from old oak, sturdy, yet elegant, in a homey sort of manner. Jack opened it, moving back out as soon as he got a glimpse in. Shutting the door Jack rounded the corner, moving swiftly out of sight_. What was he doing here_?!

Jack ran away, rounding corners and making his way towards the heart of the urban area, getting lost in the crowd. Eventually he found a nice abandoned alley littered with broken boxes and cases. The stench of rotting cabbage was strangely strong in this alley, but Jack did not care, he just wanted a second to process fully what he had seen.

He sat down on one of the boxes that seemed less broken, immediately crashing through it and onto the ground. Swearing, he brushed himself off, just sitting on the ground instead.

Thinking back Jack recalled everything he had seen in those few, brief moments. The shop had been dimly lit, dark corners abiding in each corner. A strong smell of pungent leaves soaked the wooden interior, the bad smell of poorly made tea. In front of him had been two figures, one elderly man trying to fit a much too small apron around his substantial body and another figure. A teenage boy, red scar on his left cheek, smacking himself in the face with his palm, obviously embarrassed by the elder man's presence. Jack rubbed his chin, trying to eliminate any other possibilities, but when he came right down to it, there really was no other option. Zuko and Iroh had somehow snuck their way into Ba Sin Sey.

Jack stood up, shutting off the memories that were stirring. Whatever he remembered about Zuko he did not want right now, he was in a delicate situation. After arguing with himself he had felt somewhat convicted to give up his crazed hunt and try to make a life for himself within the city. However, if Zuko was connected to his past, as well as Azula, his sister, then he was liable to dive head-on right back into it. He might as well just go right back into that tea shop and try to kill Zuko, though he did not think that would help him get at Azula anytime soon.

Jack froze. If he was here, and so was Zuko, and Aang was here, what in the world would stop Azula from coming after them? Nothing; that was the answer, Azula was going to be here real soon, and with a vengeance. All of her most hated enemies were nestling in the last great refugee of the free world. She would have to come, whether or not she wanted to, though there was no doubt in his mind that she wanted to. That meant all he had to do was wait, and sooner or later Azula would show up. This time around he would have the advantage. He would be able to set the trap, she would know it was coming, but there would be nothing she could do to stop it, just like it had been with him.

Jack stood up, a smile across his face. His fortune was turning, finally it seemed that something was going his way, all he had to do now was hunker down, find some work, and put together a fool proof plan to take out Azula, once and for all. One side of him argued about settling down and giving up the chase, but Jack squashed it. That had been before he realized that Azula was for sure coming, now he had no choice but to hunt her down.

Walking away Jack rounded a corner, bumping head on into someone. The person fell to the ground, his smaller frame knocked over by Jack's bulk.

"Ohh, sorry man, my bad." Jack reached down a hand, grabbing the wrapped arm that was offered back up to him.

"No problem, I should've watched where I was going." The stranger said. Jack gave a tug, bringing the lanky fellow to his feet. A metallic clink sounded off as his hook-blades banged against each other on his hip. A grin sat on the stranger face, a piece of wheat stuck in his mouth.

"Take care huh?" Said Jack, continuing on.

"Ya, you too." Replied the stranger, making his way down the alley Jack had just been in. Jack shook his head; what crazy eyebrows!

It took a while, about a week or so, but Jack managed to accumulate everything he needed. While strolling around searching for work on his third day he had found a little fruit stand in need of a produce runner. Eager Jack had volunteered, earning himself his position with his large hauls that the other volunteers could not match. After that Jack began his search for a home, having stayed in alleys until he had found his job. At first he thought he had found a suitable flat, but since it was only a floor above Zuko and Iroh, Jack decided that it was wiser to move on and find somewhere else to stay. Eventually he found a nice one room that he rented for only thirty silver pieces a month, something he would managed to scrape by on with his new job as a produce runner.

He began to settle down, buying an extra change of clothes to work in, a nice earthy green with dirt hues added in. His job was not too difficult, his immense strength and Earthbending aiding him greatly in moving the fruits from one place to another. The manager had warned him that he would be mugged, but after the first one ended up with a broken leg and two dislocated shoulders the rest gave him a wide berth, least they suffer the same fate. Soon Jack had a nice routine going, waking up early to make his morning runs then following it up with a perusing of the shops, trying to find the black market, something that seemed oddly difficult in the poor district.

One day, while mulling through an old antique shop, Jack found an old fire nation dagger. Intrigued he held the blade with its opulent design; the quillons curved upwards, like living flames, forged of black steel. The hilt was wrapped in brown leather in a crosshatch, the pommel emblazoned with a ruby. The blade itself was designed like a flame, curving from side to side, not only creating a beautiful design but also an extremely effective stabbing weapon, making an odd-shaped wound that would be hard to plug up. Taking it up to the counter he set it down.

"How much for the blade?" He asked, fearing that it was far beyond his meager wage. The young girl turned to him, her green eyes sparking.

Without a word she slapped him as hard as she could, stunning him. He groaned, grabbing his cheek, which no doubt later would start to swell up.

"What the _sin-yun doah shoo_?" He said, random words flying from his mouth, not wanting to swear in front of a lady.

"You stinking pig! First you get my family killed, then you almost get me killed. Then, upon learning that I was captured by your most hated enemy, you decide to leave me and go knife shopping!" Again the hand came across his face, this time on the other cheek. Well, at least he would look symmetrical. Still stunned, and a bit out of it, Jack started putting the pieces together. Blinking he looked over the counter, staring into those familiar green eyes. Brown locks of hair fell down her shoulders, drawn back so as to allow customers to see her face fully. She still had that elegant beauty about her, though she was skinner now. There was no mistaking it, it was Korin, in the flesh.

Another slap to the face confirmed it. Ya, definitely the flesh. Jack reached across the counter, pulling her over and embracing her tight, tears escaping him. He sobbed as he held her tight, Korin fidgeting slightly beneath his grip. Pulling back he wiped the tears from his eyes, looking at her.

"Korin, you're alive!" He said. Korin looked about the shop, making sure they were alone.

"Ya, I'm alive, big whoop. I think that you were already informed of that little fact." She said, stepping back. Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry Korin, I thought that Azula was lying. I mean, come on, you had been taken away by a sea serpent, what was I supposed to think happened?" He said. Korin looked away.

"Ya, well, you could've looked for me, at least for a little, maybe you would have found me washed up on the shore before she did." Jack turned red.

"Sorry about that, I guess I kinda let my rage get the better of me." Korin looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Your rage, what, were you angry at me for getting eaten?" She asked. Jack shook his head.

"No, no. I was mad at myself, and then I shifted the blame to Azula, and got mad at her. That's why I was on the drill, to kill her."

"How'd that go?" Asked Korin. Jack smiled, then realized that there was not any sarcasm in her voice. He looked up at her, perplexed.

'You mean that you don't know?" He said. Korin shrugged her shoulders.

"I was stuck in a tiny cell until all of a sudden the whole thing started buckling around me. The bars gave out and I crawled away, finding my way to the outside. There a team of earthbenders found me, taking me up to the wall and bringing me back to health. I lost a lot of blood you know, being bitten and all by a giant sea serpent." Jack nodded his head.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Korin brushed him off, continuing on.

"Ya, well, they took care of me, and when I got better they found me this job and a place to stay, though I have to admit it isn't the best." Korin looked around the shop, the owner nowhere in sight. Turning back to Jack she slapped him again.

"Oww, would you knock that off!" He said, turning back to her. She smiled at him.

"Sorry, it just makes me feel so much better." Jack tried to keep scowling at her, but he was too overjoyed to see her alive, and not in Azula's clutches. He came up to her and gave her another hug.

"I missed you." He said. She hugged him back.

"I missed you too." She said, giving him a slight pat on the back.

"But I'm still mad at you." She said, drawing back. Jack smiled.

"Alright, you're still mad, I get it." Korin jutted out her lower lip.

"I don't know how long it will last, could be years." She said. Jack flipped the knife over in his hand, holding out the hilt to her.

"Care to settle things right now?" He asked. Korin tapped her chin thoughtfully for a second, then she reached out, grabbing the hilt. As she pulled on it she turned the blade, accidentally slicing Jack across the hand.

"Oww!" Cried Jack, pulling his hand back. Korin dropped the knife, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" She said, reaching out to exam his hand. Jack shook it off.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm fine." He said, looking at the cut. It was superficial for the most part, nothing too bad, but it still stun. Blood was trickling down his wrist, dropping onto the floor.

"Well, at least I know that blade's still sharp." Said Jack smiling. Korin smiled back at him, prodding at his cut.

"It doesn't look too bad." She said, moving him. They walked out the back door, moving into the alley where he could bleed more freely. Sitting down on the pavement Jack held his hand upside down, letting the blood plop to the ground.

"Wait here." Said Korin, going back inside. Jack stayed outside, looking at the overcast sky. They could do with a bit of rain. He thought of his great fortune, running into Korin in one of the biggest cities in the world right after she had escaped capture. Pausing for a second Jack wondered how it was that Korin knew Azula told him that she was alive. If she had come by after the incident then she would have known that Jack's attempt had failed, but if she did not come by at all then she would not know that he had been told she was alive. Pondering the thought Jack came to the conclusion that she must have heard it somewhere else and just had gotten her story mixed up, it was very stressful being a prisoner, especially if Azula was your captor.

By the time Korin came back out a small puddle of blood had accumulated at his feet, shaking slightly from the vibrations created in the bustling street out front. With a nod she demanded his hand. Being already trained in the routine Jack held it out, allowing Korin to clean it and bandage it. The whole time Jack stared at her with a smile, watching as her sharp green eyes darted about, moving from one position to another with such purpose and meaning. No wasted movement, almost as if she had been trained. A thought crossed Jack's mind.

"Did your mother teach you how to bandage people up?" He asked. Korin, consumed with her work, paused, looking up at him.

"What?" She asked. Jack leaned forward.

"Your mother teach you to do this?" He asked, waving his bandaged hand for emphasis. Korin nodded her head.

"Ya, my mother's the town healer, or at least she was." She said, he voice trailing off. Jack leaned back.

"Sorry, I was just curious." He said. Korin nodded her head, a single tear running down her cheek.

"It's okay." She said softly. After she was through tying it she looked it over, making sure everything was satisfactory.

"Well, I think you'll live through this one Mr. Diamondbender." She said. Jack looked down the alley.

"Hush, someone might hear you." He said, standing up. Korin arose, an amused smile on her face.

"You're paranoid, you know that right?" Jack looked at her.

"If you were me you'd be paranoid as well." He said. She stood there, looking at him.

"So, now what?" She asked. Jack looked at her, his face close to hers. A slight breeze brought the smell of peaches to his nose. He twitched.

"You smell like peaches." He said. Korin smiled.

"Ya, it's a perfume I got, nothing fancy but I like it." She sat there, beaming at him with her radiant smile, her perfect white teeth glowing. Jack blinked. Leaning down he kissed her on the cheek. Korin looked startled.

"I say you come and stay with me, we'll get by better with two people rather than one, besides, I know where we can get a nice flat." He said, already making plans to ditch his bedroom and move above Zuko, screwing the consequences. Korin looked at him, thinking for a moment.

"Alright, I'll have to give my land-lady notice, but I'm sure that we could make it work." Jack smiled.

"Just one thing." She said, poking him in the chest. Jack froze, halted by her tone of voice.

"The next time you get the urge to kiss me." Jack swallowed hard, expecting another smack to the face.

"Do it right." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her. She pressed her lips against his, her sweet lips tingling against his. Jack kissed her back, putting his arms around her waist. They pulled back for a breath, looking at each other. Taking a step back Korin smiled at him, walking back into the shop without so much as a word.

Jack remained stunned for a time, his heart palpitating inside his chest. His body tingled from the contact, adrenaline surging through his veins. Eventually he whistled, brushing back his thick hair.

"What a girl." He said, shaking his head.

Jack made his way back to his job, finishing off his day of work. After work he went straight over to the open flat, making the down payment and going right back out, heading to his own place. Having a brief discussion with his land-lord Jack managed to get out of his agreement with forty silver pieces right on the table, which he had acquired in a somewhat conspicuous manner. After that he packed up, and made his way over to the flat.

It was not a big thing, only one room with two beds. There was a bathroom and a closet. Jack did not have many possessions, just his two pairs of clothes and a mismatch of things he had accumulated over the past few months. Setting his things on the right side of the room Jack made his way back over to the antique shop, hoping to catch her before closing.

Korin was just closing up shop, putting the last few things in their place before she headed out for the night. She gave the key to the owner, a frail old man with a kindly smile, nodding his head at her he bid her a goodnight, turning back to his old, dusty knick-knacks. Jack waited outside, watching as Korin made her way towards the door. A small bundle rested in her hands.

She came out, smiling at Jack.

"Good timing." She said, giving him a hug. Jack nodded his head.

"Ya, I've got us that flat, all we have to do is get you out from your land-lady and we're on our way." She said. Korin seemed a bit shocked.

"You've already got the flat?" She said. Jack grinned.

"Ya, I soon as I got off work I made my way over and paid the down-payment. I talked with my land-lord and got out of that as well, so now all we have to do is get you out of your place." He said. Korin blinked, shaking her head.

"Ya, alright, well, come along then." She said, walking away. They walked for about five minutes or so, bustling through the crowd, until Korin turned down a side alley. Jack followed her, staying close as she turned down first one path then another. Eventually they came out near a fountain, the lanterns about it just being lit as the sunset faded. After another five minutes or so they reached a three story building. The smell of alcohol and smoke wafted from the open door, a loud jostling emanating from inside. Frowning Jack turned to Korin.

"Please don't tell me that you've been staying here?" He asked. Korin gave him a sheepish smile.

"I needed a place to stay, and frankly, this was the best option." Jack shook his head.

"Ugh, alright, let's get this over with." Korin put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"My land-lady doesn't like men. I think it would be easier if you just let me take care of it." She said. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't like men? How so?" Korin rolled her eyes.

"It's a really interesting story, and I'll tell you all about it sometime, but not right now." She said, walking up to the door. She stopped before she entered, turning back to Jack.

"Behave." She said, tossing him the bundle. Jack caught it, unwrapping the object. In his hands glowed the cold steel of a fire-nation dagger. He shook his head.

"Now how did you talk the old coot out of this little beauty?" He said to himself. Jack smiled, walking around. He did not know how long Korin would be, so he would stay close by, but it could take a while. Whistling Jack walked around, his hands in his pockets, his new knife shoved in the back of his belt. The night was silent, serene, a beautiful night.

Jack looked up at the stars, dabbling back into his past. What secrets lay back there? What untold stories waited to be revealed again in the light of day? Perhaps he should try harder to remember, but at times, he did not want to. If he looked back into the past and saw someone entirely different than who he was then he would now that Azula had won. However, if he refused to look into the past and find out who he was then Azula had won again, having broken him from his past and fracturing his personality. He shook his head. No matter what way he spun it Azula still landed on top. It was like she had implanted his mind with every step and decision he was going to make in order that she could just toy with him.

Jack shook his head. Well, she would not always have the advantage. He was finally starting to catch on, now all he needed to do was to put the pieces in place. She would show up soon enough.

Looking around Jack realized that he had wondered close to the tea shop where Zuko worked. He froze, knowing that he could be spotted at any moment. Turning slowly he started making his way back, noticing someone in the shadows. Looking down Jack ran through the image real quick, trying to determine who it was. After a second Jack realized that it was the weird guy with the hook swords he had ran into a while back. Jack threw a glance over his shoulder, confirming his suspicion. Why was he staring at the tea shop?

Jack made his way back to where he started, pondering the question. Maybe he also knew Zuko and was spying on him, trying to catch him in some villainous act. That made him laugh. Sure, there was someone else working on his side. Besides Aang and the gang Jack believed that there were not a lot of people who actually had it out for the royal family. Besides, even Aang did not really have it out for them, he merely fought them off when it became necessary. As for Jack, he had made it his personal mission in life to take down Azula, and if that meant getting rid of Zuko as well, well, that was just bonus points.

Pacing about in the street Jack began to worry, wondering what was taking Korin so long. Perhaps the land-lady had not appreciated her skipping out so early. Maybe some drunk had gotten handsy with her. Jack's mind kept spitting out scenario after scenario, most of them ending in a very bad manner. Eventually Jack decided that he would go in and look for her.

Entering the establishment Jack coughed, a waft of smoke hitting him. Suddenly Jack realized that it was not an inn, but rather an opium house. Guests were strewn about, laying on extravagant spreads, puffing out soft white smoke from elegant tubes. Some guests sat around a table, talking in low hushed voices, glasses of alcohol set before them. No doubt they used this establishment as a front for something more sinister. Jack froze, realizing that this could be the black–market front he had been searching for. Curiosity started to get the better of him, but the thought of Korin in some dispute without his aid prompted him back to his intended goal.

Searching about Jack found the stairs, pushing aside a man who was passed out on the bottom step Jack took them two at a time. Upon reaching the top he ran into two shady looking characters, knives glinting in their belts. They turned to him, glowering. One of the men had his black hair braided back, gold flashing from his sinister grin. His lanky body hung loose, his hands fluttering about. The other man was short and stalky, a bulk of muscle with a brown and red cap on his head.

Stopping for a moment Jack looked at them closely. The color of their clothes seemed odd; red and brown, with splashes of black added in, no green. One of them, the skinny one, noticed his look.

"What ya lookin at pretty boy?" He asked, his knife flashing in his hand. Jack gave him a grin.

"Your ugly face." He said, turning and continuing on. The lanky fellow's companion laughed, much to the annoyance of the lanky one.

"Quite you!" He said sharply, smacking him on the back of the head. The bulky one mumbles something that must have been an apology.

"Hey, pretty boy, you got a smart mouth on ya, how 'bout we fix it for ya?" The man waved his knife at Jack. Ignoring them Jack kept walking looking from room to room for Korin. He ascended another flight of stairs, seeing her at the end of the hall. Jogging over he came up to her just as she was leaving what must have been her room.

"Hey, need a hand?" He asked. Korin jumped, dropping her bag of possessions. Jack snatched them before they could hit the ground, holding them out to her.

"Think you dropped these." He said. Korin glared at him.

"I told you to wait outside!" She said, snatching the bag from him. Jack shrugged.

"You were taking a long time, I thought you might've run into a spot of trouble." He said, looking into the room.

"Hey, you left some stuff on the desk." He said, noticing the paper and quill that lay on an oaken desk. Korin closed the door.

"Just a note to the land-lady, she wasn't around." She said, walking down the hall. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What took you so long then? You lighting up?" He asked, a grin on his face. Korin did not sound amused.

"I just was making sure everything was in order, I don't want my land-lady hounding me after I leave." She said. Jack held up his hands.

"Alright, alright, no need to get snappy." He said. Korin shook her head.

"Sorry, it's just been a long day, that's all."

"Tell me about it." Said Jack. He did not know why but Korin seemed a bit out of sorts of late. It could be the fact that she had just barely escaped Azula's clutches, or it could be that she was still angry at Jack for abandoning her, which, to be honest with himself, Jack would still be extremely ticked off if she had done that to him, so all in all Jack thought that she was reacting in a most benevolent manner. She would feel better once they got to the flat and she had a chance to relax.

Shrugging it off Jack continued on, making his way behind Korin down the stairs. Stalky and slim were waiting for him.

"Hey, pretty boy, where you think you're going?" Korin looked behind her, trying to pinpoint who it was that the two men were talking to. Jack grimaced.

"We still ain't done with you." Said slim, taking a step forward. Jack groaned inwardly. This was going to make Korin feel a whole lot better.

The two men started coming forward, knives drawn. Jack reached back and grabbed the hilt of his own dagger. Korin looked between him and the two men, getting the picture.

"I said not to cause trouble!" She hissed at him.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." He mumbled, pushing her to the side. The two men came at him, slashing their knives. Jack blocked the first one with an elbow to the wrist, using his own knife to deflect the other blow. He then kicked the stalky one in the mouth, turning and grabbing slim by his knife wrists. Twisting back the wrist snapped, slim dropping the knife to the ground with a cry. Jack then spun and delivered an elbow to the face, breaking the man's nose and sending him flying into a table against the wall. Stalky charged him, dropping his knife and tackling him. The two rammed against the wall, a large dent forming.

By now their little disturbance began attracting attention. People begun to poke their heads out doors, a few asking them to keep it down. Ignoring them the pair fought on, Jack pummeling into stalky's back while stalky threw punch after punch into his kidney. Finally, having enough, Jack brought back his fists and hit him with a blast of air, which merely blew the man's hat off. Swearing Jack shifted to a flaming fist that came crashing down on the back of the man's head, knocking him unconscious.

Shaking himself off Jack turned to Korin, who was currently laughing.

"What?" He asked, annoyed with the situation. Here he was fighting off two thugs and Korin was laughing at him?

"That blast of airbending!" She said, doubling over with laughter, holding on to her stomach. Jack turned red. He grabbed her bag off the floor, marching down the stairs.

"Come on." He said, exasperated. Korin followed behind, laughing so hard that she was crying.

"Coming." She called, making her way down the stairs. As they went out into the street Korin looked at him, grabbing her bag. With a giggle she went past him, only pausing afterwards to realize that she did not know where the flat was. Jack, still embarrassed, led her tacitly, fuming. What a joy to have a friend.


	6. Night-time escapade

**Chapter VI**

Jack and Korin were in their flat, getting things organized. He was currently fixing his thing in the closet, not a great task but something he was taking a while doing. Now that he and Korin were living together he wanted to make sure that everything was meticulously placed, so that she would not think poorly of him. Grabbing his only other shirt Jack paused, realizing that Korin had already seen so much of him that a messy or clean closet would not make much a difference in her opinion of him. Shrugging his shoulders he continued on, hoping that she would appreciate the care he was putting into the closet. A knock came at the door.

"I'll get it." Called Korin. She had been taking a second, looking out the window and marveling at the big city. Walking over to the door she straightened out her dress, a simple green one, much alike to the one she had been wearing the first day they had met. Opening the door she greeted the stranger with a friendly smile.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" She asked. Jack kept rummaging through his things, finding a set of fire-rocks. Now why did he have these? A familiar voice wafted over to him.

"I am sorry to disturb you miss, but I seem to have misplaced my fire-rocks, do you have a set that I may borrow? I would be very appreciative." Jack froze, the sound of Iroh's voice chilling his blood.

"Ohh, sure, we have a set you can borrow." She walked over to Jack, unaware to the amount of danger they were in.

"Do you know where the fire-rocks are?" She asked him. Jack reach out his hand, keeping his back to Iroh.

"Ohh, thanks." She said, taking the green rocks from his sweating hands. She walked back over to the door, her melodious voice speaking.

"Here you are sir. You just keep them as long as you need." She said.

"You are too kind." Said Iroh, leaving. Jack heard the next door open and shut. He had picked the flat next to Zuko?! He could have sworn that they were one floor above, or was it below? Shaking his head he smacked himself, cursing his recklessness. Korin came back over to him, a smile plastered across her face.

"What a gentleman." She said. "You know, you could learn some things from that old man, I bet he could civilize you in a snap." Jack swallowed. Korin noticed his behavior.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Jack shook his head, putting the rest of his things in the closet.

"Nothing." He said, turning and smiling. In truth he loathed the idea of having Zuko and Iroh as neighbors, it was just a recipe for disaster, but telling Korin that he had picked the flat right next door to Azula's brother and uncle, that would be plain suicide. She would think that he was still going after Azula, though in truth he was, and would probably leave him at the drop of the hat. Mulling it over in his mind Jack decided that it was the right play. He would just avoid Zuko and Iroh. How hard could it be? They would be out and about all day, and Zuko hated people, so he was not liable to come out of the flat after he had gotten back. It was a safe bet that that was the last time Jack would have a close run in with them

Yawning and stretching out Jack moved over to his bed, sitting down.

"I think it's bedtime." He said, tossing his shirt on the floor. Korin glared at him.

"Ohh no you don't." She said. Jack looked up, startled.

"What, what I'd do?" He asked, halfway between the covers and his bed. Korin stared at his ragged shirt, lying on the ground. Jack swallowed.

"Ohh, ya, right. Guess I should probably take care of that, right?" Korin nodded her head.

"Yup, it would be advisable my friend. If we're going to share this flat then it's going to stay pristine, got it?" She said. Jack picked up his shirt, hanging it in his closet.

"Right boss." He said, giving a mock salute. Korin raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" She said. Jack hid a smile behind his hand.

"Nothing." He said, jumping into bed and pulling the covers over himself.

"Blow the candle out would you doll?" He said, glad that he could hide himself in the sheets. A sigh emanated from Korin.

"Goodnight." She said, the candle going out with a slight puff.

Jack sat in his bed, sleep refusing to come to him. He tossed and turned, listening silently to the hum of life outside his window, along with Korin's deep, rhythmic breaths. She had already fallen asleep. Peering at her through the darkness Jack smiled to himself, so happy to have found his friend again. A disturbing thought popped into his head, another friend whom he had not bothered to look for after escaping, his best friend.

"Joshua." He muttered to himself, playing the name around in his mouth, as if he could recall the memories by the very feeling the name produced coming off his lips. Joshua was not only a friend, but his best friend, that he knew from the apparition, but what had happened to him? To know this Jack would have to delve down into his memories, by they were blocked off, inaccessible. Looking at the wall he noticed a sign. _Closed until further notice_.

He sighed, shifting over again. They were locked away, and he knew why. Azula; until he had straightened things out with her he would not be able to look back on his past life.

Why was his mind blocking out his past? He wondered. What possible good could it be doing him? It was keeping him safe from seeing the monster he had become. This he knew deep down, that if he allowed himself to remember then he would see the change, the horrible change, and he could not confront that, not yet. There was strength that he needed, courage that he could not find, and a path to rectify things, but he did not know that path, he did not possess that strength, and he was lacking in the necessary courage. So his memories lay locked for another night, as he drifted off into restless sleep, nightmares plaguing what should have been a time of rest.

The next week or so passed without much to speak of. Jack and Korin continued working at their jobs, making more than enough to pay the rent and stash a bit left over. Zuko and Iroh, after a little fiasco at their tea shop, moved out to the upper ring, the wealthier one, thus relieving a lot of stress that had been on Jack at the time. He and Korin began to grow closer and closer, neither of them developing any other friends besides each other. All their free-time they spent together, going around the poor district and looking at the sites. At first Korin was a bit lost, not used to the hustle and bustle of the big city, but with Jack's help she quickly caught on and began to enjoy it, seeing each day as another challenge with which to wrestle with. As for Jack the whole time was heavenly. He had work to keep him busy, money in his pocket, food in his stomach, and a friend to keep him company, and a really pretty one at that. They had not spoken of the kiss after that first day, but ever since then they had started behaving as a couple, holding hands and going out to dinners. It seemed that life was good, but Jack knew that it would all end. His personality dictated that something should disrupt his lifestyle, lest he become truly happy. Life just would not give him a brake, and unfortunately for him it was not intent on letting him have one.

A few weeks after he had entered the city Jack had seen fliers falling from the sky. Picking one up he had noticed that they were from Aang, as they were inquiring to the whereabouts of Appa, his flying-bison. Part of Jack wanted to go and help, but the other part of him wanted to stay put and leave them as bait, knowing that when Azula struck, the first ones she would go after was Aang and his companions. Sticking the flier in his pocket Jack put Aang to the back of his mind, focusing instead on his work, but eventually it started to get to him. One day, while he and Korin were having a sip of tea on their favorite park bench, he decided to tell her.

He looked over at her, watching as her long brown hair floated gently in the breeze, her peach perfume being carried by the wind. She was holding a small porcelain cup in her hands, steam swirling up out of it. They had bought a tea set a week or so back, at her insistence, and ever since she had been making him drink tea, though to be honest with himself Jack still hated it.

She looked over at him, noticing his staring eyes. A bright smile crossed her face.

"What are you looking at?" She asked. Jack smiled at her, setting his cup of tea down.

"You." He said simply, brushing back a stray strand of hair. She blushed slightly.

"Korin, there's something I want to talk about." He said. Korin looked at him, noticing his tone. She set her cup down with a slight clatter.

"What is it?" She asked. Taking a deep breath Jack started, knowing that once he went in he could not turn back.

"You know in the serpents pass, when we were being followed?" He said. She nodded her head.

"Ya, what about it?" Here goes nothing he thought.

"Well, that was the avatar." He said. She blinked at him.

"The…avatar? How can you be sure?" Jack laughed nervously.

"I can recognize that gaudy yellow and orange getup anywhere, besides I saw Momo." He said. She continued to stare at him with a perplexed look.

"His pet flying-lemur-monkey." He clarified. Korin nodded her head slowly.

"And how is it you know the name of his pet flying-lemur-monkey?" Jack rubbed the back of his neck, knowing that his friendship with Korin relied on how he spun this off.

"Well, it's a funny story, you see, Aang kinda, well… he was the one who broke me out of prison. Well, to be specific it was Sokka, but it was Aang and his friends who rescued me." He said. Korin raised an eyebrow.

"You were in prison?" She said. Jack smacked his forehead, realizing that he had never told her about his little escapade in prison. Taking in a deep breath he told her his story. How he had been captured by Azula for some unknown reason and for an unknown amount of time. He told her how he had amnesia and his escape with Sokka from prison. He told her everything, everything up to when he met her in the village. The whole time she sat quietly, taking it all in, not disturbing him, merely shifting positions every now and again. At the end she looked up at him, her eyes plain.

"Well, you've been through quite a lot haven't you?" She said. Jack nodded his head.

"Ya, life hasn't exactly been a breeze for me." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, that was a nice story and all, and I'm happy you feel like you can confide in me, but I really still don't see the point." She said. Jack looked at her, befuddled by her reaction. He had expected her to be angry with him, mad that he had put her life in danger for his own selfishness, yet she seemed to have just brushed it off.

"You aren't angry?" He asked. Korin shook her head.

"No, those things are in the past, there's nothing we can do about it right now, all we can do is move forward and try to make amends, though I do believe you owe me a big one." She said. Jack nodded his head.

"Alright, I owe you one."

"A big one." She corrected. Jack laughed.

"Alright, a big one." Korin shifted again, tucking her feet beneath her as she sat on the bench.

"So, what exactly is the point of you telling me this?" She asked. Jack nodded his head.

"Ohh, ya, the reason. Ya, well, have you seen these things around?" He asked, taking out the flyer he had stuffed in his pocket before they had left the flat. Korin nodded her head.

"Ya, they've been all over the place, including your closet." Jack turned red.

"They're from Aang, he's looking for his flying-bison; I want to help." He said. Korin raised an eyebrow.

"How long have you had that particular flyer?" She asked. Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

"Umm, about a week." He said. Korin shook her head.

"A week, my, my, you aren't very decisive are you?" She said.

"I'm decisive, it just takes me some time to come up with the right decision, that's all." Responded Jack indignantly. Korin laughed at him.

"I'm just teasing you." She said. Jack crossed his arms.

"Well, I don't think I owe you that big of a favor." He said, pouting. Korin punched him on the arm.

"You're such a big baby." She said. Jack offered her a smile.

"Alright then, if you want to help them out how are you going to do it?" She asked.

"We need to go to their house." Said Jack. "Then we'll see what they need help with." Korin nodded her head.

"Great plan, only one flaw." Jack raised an eyebrow.

"A flaw, what flaw? It's rather simple, I don't think it's possible to have a flaw with a plan that short." He said. Korin shook her head.

"You're forgetting that they live in the rich district, we're in the poor. They don't exactly let you hop from district to district. Wouldn't want to mix the mutts with the stallions, so to speak." Jack did not bother asking for a clarification for her analogy, as he bet the clarification would make just about as much sense to him as the analogy did. Instead he began to think about it.

"Two amazing earthbenders trying to scale an earthen wall, come on, who's going to stop us?" Said Jack. Korin rolled her eyes.

"Two walls dumby." She said. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"What's one more wall more or less? Come on, we'll wait until nightfall then make a move, we just need to make sure that we don't look like we belong in the poor district." At this Korin lit up, and Jack knew instantly that he was going to regret that statement. Sure enough the rest of the afternoon was spent at their flat where Korin cleaned, scrubbed, and rubbed both of them, making sure that they were squeaky clean before they went out on their little trip over the wall. While Jack was drying off Korin ran over to the local market, finding them a nice pair of clothes. Coming home she threw Jack his pair, which he proceeded to look at.

It was a long green robe with matching slacks, golden embroidery on the sides spelt out something he could not quite make out. The shirt was white, with gold cuffs and a dark green vest embroidered with the earth-kingdoms emblem. Whistling Jack brushed them out.

"How in the world did you afford this?" He asked. Korin smiled at him mischievously.

"Let's just say that someone owed me a favor, and I called it in." Jack swallowed.

"How big was this favor he owed you?"

"She." Korin corrected. "And it wasn't all that big, just something I did for her in the past." Jack groaned inwardly. If this was a small favor, what in the world did a big one look like?

Before Jack could put it on Korin had filled the tub again, soap bubbling around the edges. Jack actually groaned this time.

"Another bath?" He whined. Korin laughed.

"No, dumb-dumb, we need to wash our clothes, they're filthy." Jack picked up the vest, giving it a sniff. The smell of the market place came to him, a greasy, earthy smell. He smiled.

"I think they smell just fine." He said. Korin rolled her eyes.

"Look, if you want to smell like this pig-sty, then be my guess, but you'll be spotted a mile away, or, to be more precise, you'll be smelt a mile away." She said, taking her dress and dunking it in the bath. Groaning Jack brought his clothes along as well, dunking them in and scrubbing them against the washboard. Unfortunately they had only the one washboard, so a fight ensued where bubbles were tossed about and almost everything got wet. However, they got their clothes clean, and when they were done Jack bent all the water back into the tub. Korin smiled at him, mirth glinting in her eyes.

"Well, I guess it's time to get dressed." Said Jack, stripping his dirt brown shirt and tossing it on his bed. Korin raised a hand, blocking the sight of his pasty chest.

"Easy there glow-stick, let me leave the room first." She said. Jack chuckled.

"Alright." He said. Korin left the room, closing the door soundly behind her. Jack proceeded to get dressed, finding the outfit to be a great fit for him, though he did not care so much for the formal get up, it was a bit opulent for him, even if the thread was not real gold. After checking himself over in the mirror he went over to the door, realizing that there was a set of dress shoes sitting next to it. He slipped them on, finding the squeaky tightness to be much too annoying. Taking them back off he set them to the side, slipping on his normal work shoes. Opening the door he stepped out, finding Korin sitting across the hall, looking at him. She smiled gently as she got up, walking over to him.

"Well, well, well, you look like a true gentleman." She said, coming over to him and fixing a stray strand of hair. He brushed her hands away.

"Okay mom, no need to fuss about it, I have it the way I like." He said. Korin laughed.

"Okay, okay, I'll leave you be. Now, it's my turn." She said, walking by him and closing the door, smacking him in the back. Jack jumped, not prepared for it. He heard a giggle from behind the door.

Shaking his head Jack walked across the hall. Realizing that Korin was a girl Jack assumed he would have to wait a bit longer, so he decided to stroll up and down the hall. He looked at the next-door room, where Iroh and Zuko used to stay. It was nice not having them here anymore, but he would still like to know what they were up to.

Jack strolled down to the end of the hall, looking out the window. It was getting dark out fast, the moon shining bright outside. He frowned, this was not a good night for the moon to be shining, but he did not want to wait any longer, he had already pushed Aang out of his mind for months, now he was going to make it up and help out as best he could.

"Sure, that's why you want to be with Aang." Said a voice. Jack did not bother turning, knowing who it was.

"Why is it no matter what happens you don't leave me alone?" He asked, turning around to see Joshua, dressed in common earth-kingdom garb. He looked sorry, his big blue eyes wells of sorrow.

"Why can't you let it go?" He said. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said, turning and looking back out the window. Joshua appeared outside the window, hovering in a cross-legged position.

"I am you, moron, when will you ever get that through your thick skull?" He said. Jack turned around again, finding him before him.

"Stop doing that will ya?" He said, walking straight through the image.

"Come on Jack, we both now why you want to go to Aang, that's going to be the first place Azula strikes when she gets here, if she isn't already." Jack froze, turning around.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you know this. Something isn't right. The fire nation penetrates the outer wall and just gives up? Sure the drill was taken out, but it was effective. They would be crawling around the outside of the wall right now, looking for some sort of weak point to smash through. There's even fire-nation agents in the city, not doing anything." Jack turned.

"How do you know that there's fire-nation agents in the city?" He said. Joshua appeared in front of him just to roll his eyes again.

"Please, skinny and chunky? You really think that they were earth-nation gangsters? You saw how they attacked you, standard fire-nation close courter techniques, why do you think it was so easy to beat both of them?" Jack mulled it over in his head.

"What makes you say they weren't doing anything?" Said Jack.

"Because they knew who you were, yet they attacked you. Why would they do that? They should have hung back, watched you, tailed you, then sent the information back. The only reason that they would fight you like that is if they knew that there was nothing for them to do, and if there's nothing for them to do that means that something is going down." Jack frowned, not liking the string of logic.

"But if that's so that opium den wasn't a black market meeting place, it was their reporting station?" He said. Joshua nodded his head. Jack was confused.

"But, Korin was there." Said Jack, Joshua seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"Well, it's a good strategy for masking a secret business. Run a legit business with real customers, then use that as a cover for your real running's. It's rather standard really." Jack nodded his head, pleased by the explanation.

"Ya, I guess so." Joshua crossed his arms, staring at him.

"So, what's it going to be? Are you really going to help Aang, or are you going to use him as bait?" Jack groaned.

"Why is it you always come back to this, why can't you just agree with me that Azula needs to go down?" He said. Joshua put up his hands.

"Look, I'm not that she doesn't need to go down, believe me, she's a psychopath and we'd better with her locked up, but the way you're going about is nothing but for selfish reasons. You don't give a hoot for the war effort or other people's safety, you just want to make you feel better." Said Joshua pointing at him with a ghostly hand. Jack put his hands over his ears.

"That's it, I'm done with this conversation. Leave!" He yelled, turning around to find the hall empty, save the cabbage merchant who raised an eyebrow at him, backing slowly away into his flat. Jack grumbled to himself, marching back over to his flat, remembering that he was waiting for Korin. Sitting across from the door Jack pouted, annoyed with himself. Why was it every time he did something it was always wrong? Just because he wanted to kill Azula for selfish reasons did not make it any less beneficial to society. She would be dead, regardless of why he was doing it, so why couldn't he just accept that? He shook his head, fed up with the debate inside him. It did not matter, soon he would deal with Azula, then the debate would stop because there would be nothing else to argue about. She would be dead and he would have saved thousands of lives from a raving lunatic. The world would be a better place.

The sound of the door opening disturbed his hauteur, bringing him back to the present. Looking up he noticed an angel in the doorway. Korin stood in a flowing dark green dress with white sleeves. Gold embroidery ran around her chest and arms, her auburn hair done up in a bun. Peaches wafted up to him, her perfume receiving an extra dose for the night's escapade. Standing up Jack blinked, trying to determine whether or not he was dreaming. He balked, looking at his friend.

"You're beautiful." Said Jack. Korin smiled.

"You sound as if you're surprised." She said. Jack blushed.

"Well, I really haven't seen you like this before, just caught me off guard, that's all." He said. Korin shook her head.

"So smooth." She said, tossing an old, ragged, cloak at him. He looked at it confused.

"Wait, I thought the idea was to look like we belonged, what's up with the cloak?" He said. Korin laughed.

"No wonder you've never caught Azula, you don't really think these things through do you?" She said. Jack shook his head. He was not big on intricate plans, he more or less just winged it on every occasion.

"We can't go through the poor district looking like this." She said, gesturing to their attire. "That just asking for attention, and that's what we're trying to avoid here isn't it?" She said. Jack nodded his head.

"Ohh, good point." He said. Korin smiled.

"Yes, yes it is." She said, throwing her cloak about her shoulders, casting the hood over her head. She began to walk down the hall.

"Coming darling?" She called. Jack froze, disturbed by her usage of Azula's pet nickname for him. He shook it off, putting his own cloak on. It was just weird hearing it come from her lips. Walking down the hall he caught up with her, opening the door and leading them into the night.

They made their way towards the first wall, a walk of a few miles. Weaving in and out of a considerable crowed Jack prayed that it would be less busy by the wall itself. The cold night air began to pick off the crowd, sending those with weaker constitutions home to what warmth they could find. It seemed that the rest of the crowd was determined to stay out, and soon Jack realized why. Everywhere he turned he heard talk about the avatar and his latest adventure. Apparently Aang had gotten Long-Fang thrown into jail for treason. Jack shook his head; that kid was always up to something.

After an hour or so the streets became less crowded, and the wall drew closer. Jack and Korin stopped and bought a quick meal, eating as they walked. By the time they had reached the wall the streets were basically deserted, save a few stragglers and late night partyers. Looking around Jack began to make his way down side streets, weaving in and out, searching for the perfect place to come at the wall. They moved as two hooded figures, secluded in the darkness of the corners, making their stealthy way towards the wall. Eventually Jack found a spot he thought would do the trick.

He moved up, looking at the lighter spots as it ascended the wall. Satisfied he motioned Korin over, looking from side to side to make sure that no one was looking. They stood side by side, lifting a small earthen platform into the air and along the wall; they ascended it, staying to the darker parts of the wall. For a moment the moon was hidden behind a cloud. Swiftly they made their way straight up, reaching the top and jumping over just as the moon revealed their little platform. Jack sent it to the bottom, hoping that the crash would not draw too much attention. Without pausing the two ran across the wall, making their way to the other side. Looking over Jack smiled.

"Alright, now we jump." He said. Korin looked at him.

"Are you crazy?!" She hissed. Jack smiled at her.

"Sure thing toots." He said, grabbing her hand and dragging her over the edge. He clamped a hand over Korin's mouth to prevent a scream from escaping. Just before they reached the bottom Jack made a slide that was wide enough to take both of them. They slide down it, Jack resisting the urge to give out a yelp for the fun of it. Eventually they hit bottom.

Korin wobbled, obviously not ready for the trip down. Jack smiled at her, his body tingling with the rush of adrenaline. Looking around Jack leveled the slide, noticing the immediate improvement in the district. The houses were all crafted from stone, the paths clean and straight. Street-lamps lit the paths, illuminating the white stone pathways. A clean smell hit Jack's nose, making him wrinkle it. This was only the middle-district, yet they still smelled pompous. He decided that he liked the poor-district better.

Turning back to Korin he received a slap to the face, something that was becoming more and more common as he hung around her longer. Stretching out his jaw he did not bother asking her what it was for, rather savoring the look on her face after she had reached the ground. Without a word Korin stormed past him, putting her hood back up, as it had flown back during their decent. Jack followed her, smiling.

The two once again made their way through this district, surprised to see that the number of soldiers had actually increased in this district. In the poor district soldiers could be seen on a street corner now and again, sometimes you might even see one at the market, but for the most part they were few and far between. Here, in the middle-class district, guards were stationed on every street corner, yawning and pacing back and forth. Jack raised an eyebrow. Why keep such a heavy hand on the middle-district? He wondered, trying to appear as normal as possible with Korin by his side.

"Throw your hood down." He whispered to Korin, taking his off. Korin looked back at him then noticed his stare. Turning she noticed all the guards, and so she proceeded to take of her hood.

"Why are there so many of them?" She asked. Jack shook his head.

"I don't know." He said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. That warranted a slap to the face.

"What are you doing?" She asked sharply. One of the guards laughed. Jack rubbed the red mark developing on his face, on the same cheek as the last hit.

"Trying to act natural, it's late at night, we're two young teenagers, what else would we be doing aside from having a date?" He said. Korin looked straight ahead.

"We've been on dates before and you haven't kissed me." She said.

"Ya, but it seems more natural this way. Besides, kissing makes people uncomfortable, they're less likely to look at us." He said, walking past a group of chattering girls. They looked at him, giggling. He smiled shyly at them. Korin gave him an elbow to the gut.

"Are we on a date or not? Because I would really appreciate it if you stopped ogling at those girls." Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry." He mumbled. Korin sniffed.

"They're probably a bunch of tramps anyways, why else would they be out this late?" She said. Jack nodded his head, wanting to avoid any more physical abuse.

The two made their way down the street, making sure to stay in sight of the next wall, though to be honest it was pretty hard to lose. No one seemed to pay them much attention, thinking them a young couple out for a late night stroll. They picked up some tea from a local vendor, sipping at it as they walked and talk, making small talk about everyday events, their favorite food, a vendor they knew, or just their jobs. Eventually Jack asked her about the war.

"Do you think we'll win?" He asked. Korin laughed.

"What do you mean we? You don't even know what side you're on." She said, drinking the last of her tea. Jack laughed.

"Even if I was fire-nation, which is really doubtful, I'm still fighting against them." He said. Korin nodded her head.

"If you call that fighting." She said. Jack nudged her.

"What do you mean? You making fun of my fighting?" He said. She laughed.

"Well, it does seem as if you get caught a lot, and you run away a lot too." She said. Jack tossed his tea.

"It's called a strategic retreat, thank you very much, and I don't get caught a lot, just the one time so far." He said. Korin nodded her head.

"Alright, just the once, but your plans tend not to work so well." She said.

"This one's been working alright so far." He said, putting his arm around her shoulders as they passed a guard. Korin grabbed the hand that lay on her shoulder.

"Don't jinx it now." She said. Jack snorted.

"I don't believe in jinxes, I just think that someone's out to get me." He said. Korin laughed.

"Well, that could be because someone is out to get you, though I think she's more concerned about the real threat instead of just little ol you." She said.

"I'm a real threat!" Responded Jack. Korin smiled at him.

"I know you are." She cajoled, giving him a quick kiss.

"Feel better?" She asked. Jack smiled.

"A little." He said. She kept walking.

"Well, it'll have to do." Jack shook his head.

"You are such a tease." He said, following after her. They kept walking, making it to the second wall without much incident. Looking around once again Jack ran into a problem. Guards seemed to be posted at every point at the bottom of the wall, there was no way they would be able to approach it without being spotted. Even if they could get to it without being spotted the torches at the bottom and the top of the wall kept almost the whole thing in light. Frowning Jack mulled things over in his mind. The best solution at the moment was to produce a distraction, that way they could at least get some of the guard away so they could ascend. As long as they could make it to the top Jack was fairly certain that they would be able to get away.

Korin turned to him.

"Why don't you just fly us over?" She said. Jack blinked.

"What?" He asked. Korin rolled her eyes.

"You can airbend can't you? Well, why don't we make a glider of sorts, that way you can bend the air around us and fly us over." She said. Jack turned red.

"Well, technically I guess that could work, it's just that I don't think I would be able to fly us over." Korin paused for a second before a smile crossed her face.

"You can't airbend can you?" She said, remembering back at the opium den, and again back at their camp. Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I can airbend, I have to in order to make diamonds, it just that, well, it isn't very good." He said. While it was true that Jack could bend air, he was just very bad at it. The techniques required needed swift and light-footed movements, something that he was very, very bad at. He could be firm and stubborn, but fast and free-flowing was not his style, at least at the moment. Turning back to Korin Jack shook his head.

"No, we're not going to be able to fly over, it won't work." Korin suppressed a laugh.

"Alright, I guess that leaves us with creating a distraction then?" She said. Jack nodded his head, not surprised that she had already thought of it.

"Yup, the only thing is what type of distraction?" He said, looking around to determine the best strategy. Korin sat next to him for a moment, thinking upon the question. She snapped her fingers.

"I know." She said. Jack turned to her.

"What?" Korin smiled at him.

"Start a fire. Earthbenders hate fire." She said. Jack let a mischievous grin spread across his lips.

"Alright, let's turn up the heat." He said, walking away. Korin smirked, hanging back.

Jack made his way over to a house, his fist burning slightly as he looked around. Making his way over to the back alley Jack shot two fireballs in the air and then lit the base of the house on fire, making sure that it would be small enough to put out. He waited until he heard the shouting of guards, then he burrowed down into a tunnel, going back over to where Korin was at. Coming up she let out a slight shriek, surprised by the earthen mound that sprouted up next to her. She smacked him on the back of the head.

"You could have told me what you were up to first." She hissed. Jack rubbed his head, grabbing her by the hand.

"I was just doing what you wanted me to do." He said.

'Ya, but I didn't mean like that!" She said, pointing over to where all the guards were rushing over to.

"No time, come on, we've got to fly." He said, sprinting towards the wall. Korin followed after him.

"You're winging this aren't you?" She called. Jack let out a laugh.

"You got that right kid." He said. He looked over his shoulder, noticing that the fire he had started was a whole lot bigger than he first thought. Half of him wanted to stay and put it out, but he knew that this was his best chance of making it up the wall. Continuing on they reached the bottom of the wall at one of the empty positions. Without wasting any time they made their platform and started to ascend as quickly as they possible could. Cries from below alerted Jack to the fact that their little maneuver had been spotted. Looking down he noticed two guards flying up after them, and five other guards on the ground who looked as if they were going to throw boulders at them. They did.

"Jump!" Yelled Jack as a boulder came rushing at them. They dove to the side, landing on a platform that he pulled out of the wall. Continuing their climb Jack pulled it to the side and up, avoiding three boulders which shattered against the wall. He looked back down, noticing the guards on their own platforms gaining.

"Can you take it?" He yelled, a shower of dirt falling on him from a boulder that missed high. Korin nodded her head, determination shining in her eyes. Turning around he heard a groan come from Korin as she took on the full burden, but she did not slow down. Cracking his neck Jack threw two boulders down at the pursuing guards, catching one unaware, but missing the second one. The first guard received the boulder full on in the chest, flying off his platform and falling quickly to the ground. Luckily his buddies on the ground noticed his descent and caught him on an earth slide.

"Hey! They used my move!" Yelled Jack.

"I'm so sorry." Grunted Korin, sweat accumulating on her brow. Jack turned back to the other guard, shooting out earth pillars and hurdling boulders down at him. The guard avoided his attacks, leaping from one platform to the next. Cracking his knuckles Jack pulled off a roundhouse kick that sent a wave of earth at the guard. It hurdled at him as a rippling wave, crashing into the man with a thunderous clap. Falling the guard was caught once again by his allies on the ground, thus saving his life.

Jack turned back around, helping Korin once again. Looking up he noticed the guards accumulating on the top of the wall. They shot boulders down at hem, making their own pillars come out of the wall. The two avoided the barrage as best they could but they got clipped a couple of times, slowing them down significantly. After Korin barely missed a rock to the head Jack had had enough. Turning towards the guards he brought his hands smashing together, a beam of white fire shooting out at them. Caught by surprise the guards took it full on, the top of the wall crumbling at the force of the blast. Korin sat there with wide eyes.

"Wow." She said simply. Jack merely grunted.

"There's going to be more, we need to reach the top." The two worked together, reaching the top in another ten seconds. Once they reached the top they sprinted straight across, unconscious guards lying at their feet. Right as they reached the other side new guards came out, yelling at them, but they were too late. Jack and Korin dove off the wall, hurdling towards the ground at the other side. Once again making a slide the two slid down and ran off to the nearest back street they could find, the sound of crying guards in hot pursuit behind them.

Jack's mind raced as he tried to think of what to do. All he saw at the moment were houses and closed shops, there was not anywhere he could hide. Korin ran behind him, keeping pace, her eyes jumping from side to side, searching just as he was for a place of refuge. If they could only find a place to lay low until morning they would be fine, as the guards did not get a good look at them and their clothes were obscured by their cloaks.

Rounding a corner Korin pulled at Jack's sleeve, pointing to a bridge that sat over a little rivulet. Making their way over the two dove underneath right as the guards rounded the corner. Jack made a hole for them to hide in beneath the water, bending the water out of the way for the moment. Pushing Korin down he followed, bending the earth and water back over. They breathed heavily in the darkness, waiting to see if they would be found. The sound of heavy boots marching around mixed in with the running of the water, making a blurry harsh noise. Eventually the boots faded away, leaving them to lay still next to each other in the darkness. Korin chuckled.

"Well, Mr. Diamondbender, you're in the rich-district. What do you think of it?"

"Well, it's got good dirt."


	7. Peaches

**Chapter VII**

Jack and Korin continued to hide in their hole, occasionally opening it up and bending the water aside to get some fresh air. They took turns sleeping, one staying on guard while the other rested. A couple of times guards almost stumbled across them, but they were never found, and soon daylight was stretching across the city. Believing it was safe Jack opened the little hole and peaked his head out. The current rushed around him, bending it to the side with ease. Looking from side to side he determined it was clear, standing up and making a dry path across. He reached down a hand and helped Korin out, grunting at the stiffness in his limbs.

"Well that was fun." Said Korin, dusting off her cloak. Jack took his off, throwing it in the hole.

"Might as well dump them now, they're of no more use to us." Said Jack. Korin nodded her head, unfastening her cloak and throwing it in the hole. Jack closed it up, allowing the water to return to its regular current as they made their way across. Once they had reached land Jack took a peek around. It would seem somewhat weird if two well-dressed teens came out from underneath a bridge. He thought about that for a second. Alright, perhaps it would not be that weird, he just did not want people thinking what he thought they would think. Motioning to Korin he made his way out and around, avoiding detection. Once back on the main path he let out a sigh.

'What a fun date." He said. Korin smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ya, a lot of fun. I really enjoy running from guards and jumping off walls and hiding in ditches for hours. It's always a great time." She said, making her way over to the bridge. Jack went after her.

"Ohh come on, you have to admit that there were at least parts of that that you enjoyed." He said, prodding her with an elbow. Korin tried to stay straight faced, but a mischievous grin crossed her lips.

"Perhaps a few parts." She said. Jack grinned.

"See, I knew it, you enjoy the thrill of the chase don't you?" He asked. Korin waved him off.

"I might like it more if I was on the chasing end instead of the one being chased." She said. Jack laughed.

"Me too." He said, walking up beside her.

"So, where are we going?" Asked Korin.

"Ohh, right." Said Jack, reaching down into his pocket. Empty. He checked his other pocket, then three more, even looking inside his breast pocket, which he did not realize that he had, but there was nothing. He shifted uneasily.

"Uhhh, I think I forgot the address at our flat." He said, spinning around as he tried to get into one of his back pockets. Korin shrugged it off.

"That's okay, we'll just ask around." Jack whipped towards her.

"We can't just ask around about the avatar!" He said. Korin raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?" She asked. Jack began to sputter, trying to find a coherent reason.

"Because…well…because people might think that we don't belong or something like that." Korin laughed at him.

"You just don't want to ask for help do you?" She said. Jack crossed his arms.

"No, I just don't think it's a good idea." He said with a pout. Korin shook her head.

"What is it with men and asking for directions?"

"What's with women and always needing help?" Responded Jack, taking a step back to keep out of her slapping radius. Korin glared at him, walking away tacitly. To be honest Jack did not mind asking for directions, but in front of Korin he wanted to look in control. Having forgotten the flyer with the address on it made him look like a moron, and while he was thinking about it he realized that he had left his nice shoes back at the flat as well. As soon as they had left the river Korin had changed into some heels that she had stashed in her dress, but Jack was still in his working shoes, which were basically ragged pieces of leather that covered his feet. Jack groaned. He felt like such a moron at the moment.

Looking up his countenance rose, noticing a poster on the wall.

"Hey, Korin, I think I found something." He said, walking over to the giant picture of Appa. Korin came up behind him, trying to look over his broad shoulders.

"What is it?" She asked. Jack looked it over, finding what he wanted.

"There." He said, pointing at the address. Korin looked at it, then up at the sky.

"I don't think that's going to help." She said. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Korin pointed up into the sky as a shadow passed over them. Jack looked up, hearing a low rumbling that was steadily receding. Up in the sky flew Appa, with what appeared to be two passengers. It looked as if they were leaving the city.

"You got to be kidding me, they already found him?" Said Jack. Korin laughed.

"Well, if you had decided to help them earlier you could have probably actually done something to aid them, but you were busy moving fruit." Jack turned his back to her.

"Well, I only saw two people, which means that at least two of them are here, so let's go catch up with them." He said, walking away. Korin lagged behind.

"Uhm, genius, their house is that way." She said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. Jack froze, palming himself in the face with a loud smack. Grumbling what was probably obscenities Jack made his way back over, his fists clutched at his sides as he stormed passed Korin, who just followed him with an amused smile.

The two made their way in the direction of Aang's house, arriving at their destination after an hour or so of confused wondering, with more than its fair amount of heated debates, mostly over the issue of asking for directions.

"See, I told you we didn't need to ask for directions." Said Jack, pointing at the house. Korin crossed her arms and snorted.

"Sure, if you want to wonder around for a hour, I guess it's fine." Jack ignored her surly response, instead focusing on the ornate house before him. It was elegant, in the usual flowing fashion of the earthbenders, sharp curves mixed with flowing arches. He noticed, however, that there was a huge side of the house missing on his right. Korin noticed it too.

"You sure this is the right place?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Jack nodded his head.

"Yup, Toph has definitely been here." He said, smiling slightly. Looking at the door he raised his hand to knock, hesitating as he had it lifted.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Asked Korin. Jack shook slightly.

"Nothing, I'm just making sure I'm not going to get a splinter or something." He said. Korin groaned, shoving him to the side.

"Let me do it you big baby." She said, pounding her fist on the smooth green door. Jack's heart crashed in his chest as Korin brought her fist against the door, the loud thumping surely reaching back to the furthest corners of the house. He had so much to explain, so much to confess. Of course it was his idea all along to come here and he knew that when he did arrive he would have to account for all his travels up to this point with Korin keeping a strong watch on the points where their stories intersected. Telling them the truth was the only option he had, maybe being able to gleam over some of the more violent accounts he had managed to procure, but still it would not be comfortable, and he was not sure how they would receive.

After a few moments of silence Korin knocked again, this time with a bit more austerity. Still, no one stirred.

"Perhaps they all left?" Said Jack, somewhat hopefully. Korin grabbed the door handle, trying it.

"Let's take a look." She said, turning it. Of course it was locked.

"Dang it.' She muttered, bending down to look at the lock. Jack tried his best not to laugh.

"Alright, while you pick the lock, I'm just going to go ahead and go through the big, gaping hole in the wall right over here." Said Jack, walking through a bit of rubble ruble. Korin stood up, her cheeks slightly pink.

"I knew that, I was just seeing if you actually wanted to go in or not." She said, trailing behind him. Jack smiled.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat." He said, yanking off a few of the boards that covered the massive opening. Making sure to toss the boards nails down Jack stepped through the gap, coming into the poorly lit house. It was evident that no one was home, as all the lights had been doused and silence dominated. Not even Momo was wondering about. Grunting Jack walked around, Korin making her own way about the place.

"You sure this is their place?" Asked Korin. Jack slid one of the doors open, noticing a mess of items littering the floor. Dirty cloths along with a broken brush and a sleeping mat literally coated in an inch of dirt sat in the room, the mirror covered with enough dust to obscure the whole thing.

"Yup." Said Jack, determining, somewhat easily, that he had just found Toph's room. Closing the door he moved on, discovering that Aang's and Sokka's things were missing while Katara's and Toph's remained. Where the guys had gone Jack had no clue, but he did know the ladies were still around, if one could call Toph a lady. Korin had trailed him the whole time, watching as he roamed about the house.

"So, what now?" She asked once he had returned to the main room, taking a seat on the ground. Jack blew out a breath, debating his options. He could take off now, put the board back in place, they'd never even know that he was there. After leaving he could find a nice roost to trail them at until Azula showed up, but that was a low move and one that he no longer felt comfortable pulling. Instead he decided that the best thing for him to do was to wait, and so he told Korin that.

"That's your big plan, just wait for them?" She said. Jack nodded his head.

"Ya, not like there's much else to do at the moment. Besides, aren't you the one who wanted me to confront them in the first place?" Asked Jack.

"No, that was your idea, remember?' Replied Korin, taking a seat across from him. Jack turned red.

"Ohh, ya, that's right. Anyways it doesn't really matter, it's not like we have to be somewhere." He said. Korin shrugged her shoulders.

"Just wondering, you seem to try and make these things a little more complicated than they really seem but then again how hard can it be to wait for some people to show up at their house?" She said, leaning back and crossing her hands behind her. Jack smiled.

"Exactly. Not much you can mess up about sitting and waiting, as long as the other people pull through on their end all we have to do is kick back and relax." Said Jack, following his advice to a T. He leaned back, kicking his legs up on a nearby cushion, crossing his hands behind his head. Korin rolled her eyes at him.

"You know, maybe we could spruce the place up a little, it is a bit drab." She said, looking around at the dust that had accumulated and the lack of any color. While their flat back in the poor district had not been nearly as opulent, it was homey, possessing splashes of warm color that made them feel relaxed and happy. Here it was like living in a mausoleum. Everything was cold stone, clear cut, bleak and gloomy. The only accents of color were the occasional green drapes or cushion spread thrown about, otherwise it was like sitting in a coffin. Jack looked around the room, noting the details.

"You do realize that only one of the girls will be able to appreciate the effort right?" He said. Korin raised an eyebrow at him.

"Toph's blind." He said. Korin shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, at least she'll have a clean room, she can appreciate the sentiment of it. Come on then, let's get to work." She said, standing up and walking over to the curtains, pulling them back in order to allow light to flood the room. Jack blocked the rays with his arms, his eyes having been adjusted to the dark.

"Whoa, hold on there woman. I never agreed to this." He said as she walked over to him. She smacked him upside the head.

"Your right, you didn't, but you're going to do it anyways." She said, walking past him and into the kitchen, no doubt looking for cleaning supplies of sorts. Jack stood up, a sly grin on his face.

He followed her into the kitchen, where he was handed a bucket and a mop, it did not leave much to the imagination as to what she wanted him to do. Filling the bucket up with water from outside Jack started moping, using waterbending instead of the mop, as he found it faster and more fun. Come to think of it he could probably clean the whole house using his bending, but looking over at Korin's devoted form scrubbing some odd thing or the other made him take pause; she was just having so much fun. Grimacing Jack was happy that his thoughts stayed inside his head occasionally, as that particular remark would have elicited a beating from Korin. Shaking his head Jack kept at it, making sure to scrub the entire area twice before moving on, as he was rather meticulous when it came down to it. Finally satisfied Jack moved to the next room and repeated the process, moving aside all of the cushions and furniture in order to get a better angle at the floor. Eventually everything in the front two rooms had been scrubbed and cleaned. Korin, who had disappeared in the back of the house quite a while ago, came back out while Jack was placing everything back.

"Well, I have to say, you really know how to clean your stuff." She said, examining his work. "Why is it you didn't keep the flat this clean?" She asked, running her finger along one of the stone shelves. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"You were there to keep it clean?" He said. Korin threw a green cushion at his face, which Jack just caught.

"Ohh shut up and keep cleaning." She said, walking over to the door.

"Where you going?" Asked Jack. Korin turned back to him.

"I figured I'd pick up a few things at the market. They seem to be low on supplies, particularly meat." She said. Jack nodded his head. He remembered the fights that used to break out at camp over the last piece of meat. It was always between Sokka and Toph, with the victor always being the latter, but they both loved their meat with a voracious appetite. Counting that fact it was no surprise that they were low on meat, in fact, Katara probably had to make daily runs to the market in order to keep them in stock, lest there be a riot on the account of not having meat.

"I'll be back in a bit, you just keep working now." She said, closing the door.

"Alright, be careful." Called out Jack, turning back around to his cleaning. It was not till after she left that Jack realized what she had just pulled. He was now going to have to clean up the whole house all by himself while she was out perusing at the shops. Shaking his head Jack chuckled to himself. When had she become so sneaky?

Continuing on Jack cleaned the back rooms, saving Toph's room for last. Reentering the room he was not certain if he should really clean it or just let it be, as Toph was liable to kick his butt for cleaning up a perfectly good mess, but in the end his instinct won out and he cleaned out the room, spending a good hour or so tiding it up. Satisfied that it was spotless Jack looked for something to rid the odor that had plagued it, but he found out that there were not any scents or candles anywhere in the house. Leaving a note for Korin should she return before he Jack left the house, making his way towards where he believed the market was. Turns out the road just led to some creepy building with a lot of ominous looking men standing outside. Turning back around Jack traced his way back to the house, taking a quick peek to see if any of the girls were back; they were not.

Moving on Jack decided to go in the opposite direction, having better luck and finding the crowd which indicated the presence of goods. Shoving his way through the hustle and bustle of people Jack eventually found a shop with scents in them. Trying them out he decided that he would get the most girly scents for Toph's room, just to mess with her. Picking out a few that smelled of flowers and other pretty things, which, to be honest with himself, he actually liked, Jack paid for them and left, thanking the owner. Walking back out into the street Jack held his bag close, used to the way in the poor district where one could be pick-pocketed at any moment. Walking around Jack was not surprised to find that he had to snap a few wondering fingers as they traveled towards his pockets, as picking were no doubt usually easier in the rich district. Making his way back towards the house after dealing with the pick-pocket Jack froze, a haunting smell lingering on the breeze.

Turning around he lifted his nose to the air, sniffing. A familiar smell came to him, something distinct, yet he was not able to place it. It bred both feelings of happiness and anger, both joy and rage. He looked around at the crowd, getting up on his tiptoes, searching for its source. Noticing a girl walking past him Jack began to follower her, taking note of her outfit; green cloth adorned with black strip armor. What appeared to be gold fans sat clasped to the figures hips; no sword apparent. Following the girl at a distance Jack began to get an eerie feeling. Something about the girl's hair and gait just shook him, something familiar. Watching her he lowered his head as her face turned around in the crowd, painted white with bright red lipstick on. The smell started to become stronger, then the girl turned back around, bumping into another girl. Suspecting foul play Jack looked down at their hands, expecting some maneuver of sorts. Watching closely he noticed a bright slip of white exchange between the hands, no doubt a note of high importance to someone. That or it was a shopping list.

Keeping his head down Jack tried to get a glance at the other figure, not able to make her out due to her cloaked regalia and turned face. Faced with a choice Jack decided that it would be easier to follow the first girl rather than trying to get around and tail the second, so he kept walking straight, keeping a close eye on her. As he continued to follow the first girl the smell receded, fading away. Jack titled his head, trying to get a better whiff of the girl, but after almost running into her he decided that it was better to hang back.

Following her, he kept trying to pinpoint what it was about her that seemed so familiar, but he just could not seem to place it. The girl walked through the crowd, graceful and without incident, demonstrating two facts. One, the collision was no accident, and two, she just seemed so dang familiar! Eventually the crowd began to thin and the girl took a turn down a street, which Jack walked past before coming back around to it. Peeking down the street he noticed the girl step down another alley. Picking up his pace he jogged down to it, noticing that the sun was beginning to set. His feet splashed in a puddle, making him grimace at the noise. Freezing for a second he listened to see if the girl had stopped, but the patter of her feet continuing on told him that he was still undiscovered. Coming to the alley, he took a deep breath and peeked around the corner.

The girl had stopped, pausing for some odd reason or another. She looked over her shoulder, just missing him as he pulled back around the corner. When he looked back down she had continued on, making her way down the alley. Jack followed behind her, trying to formulate some excuse or another that he could give if she finally noticed him, but it never came down to it. A house, set a bit away from the others, was the girl's final destination. She went up to it with Jack trialing behind her, sticking to the convenient shrubbery. _Why did it seem as if rich people liked to design their houses so that someone could spy on them?_ Thought Jack as he tried to not make the leaves shake.

Watching closely he tried to place the girl in his mind, but he just could not seem to make her fit with anyone he knew. She walked up to the door, knocking with a gentle fist. After a few seconds a second girl, dressed similar, opened the door, letting her in without looking around. Jack paused for a moment in the bushes.

There were two explanations for this scenario. One, he was so used to intrigue and plots that his mind had finally broke and now he was a paranoid lunatic who saw scheming in every corner, thus making the girl he had been trailing perfectly harmless. The piece of paper was more than likely just a figment of his imagination, placed there to fuel his paranoia, or, as before mentioned, a shopping list. Option number two, the one he was banking on, was that he had stumbled upon some conspiracy in which they were plotting to overthrow someone in power, or assassinate someone, or do something that would destabilize the Earth-Kingdoms government. Crossing his fingers and hoping that the scenario was the latter Jack sneaked up to the side of the house, pressing himself against the stone wall. Making his way towards the back Jack kept his body as close to the wall as possible, only moving away from it to scale the fence. Taking a moment to catch his breath Jack decided to peek in a window, hopefully catching whoever it was he was after in some vile act.

Coming up to a window he had to hurriedly press himself against the wall as the shutters flew open, clanging against the house just inches above his head. He held his breath as the figure stared out the window, wondering if he had been caught. Eventually a voice emanated from inside, drawing the figure away from the window.

"That was so much fun!" It cried, and immediately Jack knew who it belonged to, why she had seemed so familiar. There was only one person in the world who sounded so chipper that it was obnoxious, Ty-Lee. And if Ty-Lee was here then it was not a far guess to assume that the other two were here as well. Keeping his body pressed against the wall Jack inched his way slowly up, listening to the conversation that was developing between Ty-Lee and the other figure, no doubt Mai by the sound of her apathetic voice, and the use of her name.

"You should have been there Mai, it was all spy-like and stuff. I saw her, and then looked away, as if I didn't see her, then we bumped into each other and she slipped the paper in my hand and I grabbed it. I even muttered something to make it seem as if I didn't know her, it was so much fun!" Jack rolled his eyes as Ty-Lee recited her tale of intrigue. A yawn came from right above him.

"Ya, that's great Ty-Lee, now what does the note say?" Asked Mai, wood creaking as she shifted her position. Jack took a quick peek above the window sill, then shrank back down. Mai was sitting with her back to the window, blocking most of the view. Thinking it through quickly Jack decided that he really did not need to see in the room, Ty-Lee's blabbering would cover most of it. The sound of a paper being uncrumpled marked Ty-Lee's opening of the note.

"Uhmm, let's see. All agents are on stand-by, pieces are in place, blah, blah, blah, just boring stuff like that." Said Ty-Lee, no doubt finding the goldmine of detailed tactical information too monotonous for her liking. Jack ground his teeth at the thought of not hearing the whole message.

"Ohh!" Jack perked up at the sound of Ty-Lee discovering something of interest.

"It says here that the avatar is gone! Along with the water-tribe boy, that's a shame, I was hoping to see him. Apparently they left sometime this morning, but didn't we already know that?" She asked. Jack could feel Mai's sigh.

"Yes, we did, if you would pay attention while on duty you would have remembered the avatar leaving right before we showed up. He went to see some old guy or something." He could hear Ty-Lee's disappointment at Mai's scolding.

"Ohh." She said, her tone dampened.

"Is there anything else?" Asked Mai, her usual apathy present with a yawn. Jack could hear the paper being crumpled as Ty-Lee looked it up and down.

"Uhmm, I don't think so. Just the usual boring stuff. Ohh, wait!" She said. Jack strained his ears as he heard Ty-Lee mumbling out the passage to herself.

"What is it?" Asked Mai, still not excited.

"It's Jack! He's here, in the upper ring now!" Jack froze, his heart ice. They knew he was up here? They knew he was in the city?! Even Mai sat up.

"The upper ring? But I thought he was stuck in the poor district?" She asked. Jack tried to listen closely, but his head was spinning at the fact that they knew where he was.

"Ya, that's what the last report said, but now he's up here. In fact it says that he's waiting for the avatar in his own home!" Cried Ty-Lee. Jack's heart leapt into his throat. They knew where he was staying! He had to know everything they knew, but just then Ty-Lee was interrupted.

"Geesh, why don't you two go post all this information on a bulletin board or something." It was Azula's voice, and as usual she was not happy. "Just scream right out the window why don't you?" She continued, walking over to the window. Moving quickly Jack made his way back over the fence, escaping just before Azula looked out. Catching his breath while over the fence Jack waited until she had slunk back into the room. Making his way back over to the bushes he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched, but every time he looked back everything was clear. Shoving his way through the bushes with as little noise he could muster Jack made his way back to the path, jogging down and away from the house. Once he felt that he was safe from Azula's prying eyes Jack found somewhere to think.

Walking through a public garden Jack found a reclusive space underneath a cherry tree which sat behind a pagoda. With a sigh he sat down against the tree, leaning the back of his head against its smooth bark, the smell of cherry blossoms filling the air. He looked up, watching as the soft, fluffy, pink petals rustled gently in the breeze. It was so serene, so peaceful, it just clashed with everything that was going on inside his mind.

They had known. They not only knew that he was in the city but also that he was in the upper ring, at Aang's house no less! He shook his head. It just was not possible. No one had seen them; sure they had been seen by the guards last night during their little escapade, but all they would have heard was that two cloaked figures managed to scale the wall to the upper ring. From that information Azula could have deduced that he had made his way into the upper ring, but that he was at the avatar's house? Where did that come from? Not only that but the information that Ty-Lee had been reading was not from Azula but rather from some informant, someone who had been spying on him the whole time from what it seemed.

But there was no one who could have done that. No one who could have been spying on them the whole time, at least, not without Jack noticing. He had kept track of anyone he had seen more than once, actually keeping a running list, adding tally marks to anyone who kept popping up in his life when they should not be. Even the creepy guy with the eyebrows had been suspect for a while, until he heard he was arrested. It just did not make any sense; whoever it was would have to had followed them over the wall last night and track them through the streets without them even noticing.

Jack sighed, letting out a breath of air. Maybe it was not as complex as he thought. Thinking back on it he guessed it would not have been too hard. In the poor district the massive crowds would have hidden anyone trying to spy on him, and last night during their little fiasco at the walls it would have been easy to sneak over while all the guards were focused on them. Besides, for all he knew it could have been a guard, they were basically invisible, being so common in the districts that if one was spying on him he would have never had noticed.

Shaking his head Jack smacked it against the tree, groaning. With every passing moment he hated Azula more and more.

A cherry fell down in his lap, startling him. Lookin up he noticed that it must have been the only one, as everything else up there were pink blossoms. Smiling he rolled the cherry around in his finger, noting the firm texture of the fruit. It was too early for cherries, and this one was obviously not ripe; it had been disturbed by his careless head banging.

"Sorry." He muttered, leaving the cherry at the base of the tree. Standing up Jack realized for the first time that he had lost his bag of scents. Swearing he turned and looked around himself but they were nowhere.

"Drat." He said, snapping his fingers. Hopefully he had not brought them to the window sill, otherwise it was going to seem pretty strange for Azula when she found a random bag of fruit and flower scents at the base of her open window. The smile on Jack's lips froze as he began to walk away.

"Fruit scents." He mumbled, realization popping into his head. The familiarity, it had not been Ty-Lee, hadn't it? Sure some of her walk and motions rang of familiarity, but that was not what had attracted him to her in the first place, it had disappeared hadn't it? When he was following Ty-Lee, he had thought she smelt familiar, but that was not it, was it?

Realization hit him, everything falling into place. His hands shaking Jack took off at a dead sprint, making his way back towards the house. He pushed and shoved through the crowd in the market, getting more than one disparaging remark, but no one moved to stop him as he made his way as quickly as he could. Halfway there he was tempted to use his Earthbending to get there faster, but he did not want that type of attention, definitely if Azula was nearby.

As he drew closer his hands became clammy; sweat began to drip down his neck, buzzing along with some premonition at the base of his spine. His heart palpitated more from fear than physical exertion, and as the house drew into view he became dizzy, slowing down and staggering as he saw it.

He came up to the door, swallowing hard as he reached for the handle, but it receded from his grasp. The golden handle drew further back, vanishing in a sea of green. Lunging forward at it he managed to grab it, opening the door with an effort, shoving it to. Staggering in he looked around, finding the room quiet and empty, save the crackling of a fire in the hearth. Breathing hard Jack came in, closing the door behind him softly. Sweat dripped down his chin and pattered against the floor. Blinking he adjusted his eyes to the light, or lack of it. A soft clicking sound came from the kitchen, metal against wood.

Moving his legs, Jack forced himself towards the noise, his body feeling like lead. He managed to bring himself to the entry of the kitchen, leaning heavily against the arch. Looking around he saw Korin, calmly cutting up vegetables and throwing them into a boiling pot. She looked up at him, a smile plastered across her face.

"Hey, where've you been?" She asked, sliding the vegetables off the cutting board with one graceful motion. Jack swallowed.

"Out and about. I got done cleaning and figured I could head off to the market, see if there was anything I might need." He said, standing straight. Korin turned her attention back to the meal, slicing and dicing another group of vegetables.

"Ohh, and did you find anything you needed?" She asked. Jack took a step forward, watching her closely.

"Actually I did, it was a rather clarifying trip." He said. Korin continued to chop the vegetables, undisturbed.

"Ohh, and what exactly did it clear up? That rich people are pompous?" She said, a grin on her face.

"No, not that." Said Jack, feigning a half-hearted laugh. "I found somebody." He said. Korin tossed the knife into her other hand, spinning the board around, continuing to cut up her vegetables. _When had she become so proficient with a knife_? Thought Jack.

"Who did you find?" Asked Korin, blowing a trailing strand of hair away from her face.

"I found Azula." He said, catching her off guard. The sound of her knife ceased for a second; Korin paused, looking straight down.

"You found her? Are you sure? I mean, did you even see her or do you just think you've found her?" She asked, resuming her dicing. Jack stepped past her, washing his hands in the sink.

"Yes, I'm sure. I followed Ty-Lee from the market to the house their staying at; Mai and Azula were both their, in disguise of course." Korin nodded her head.

"Are you positive, are you sure that your mind isn't playing tricks with you? You could just be projecting what it is you want to see on some poor innocent group of girls." Said Korin. Jack shook his head, she was already playing at the mind game.

"Unfortunately not. I'm certain that it was them, they used each other's names." He said.

"You were eavesdropping on them?" Said Korin, cleaning her knife off quickly, returning to her meal.

"Ya, I was sitting underneath the window sill, heard quite a bit." He said. Korin nodded her head.

"Right, then what's the plan, go in solo or wait and tell the others?" She asked, her knife a bit unsteady. Jack went over to the boiling pot, mixing the contents with his bending.

"Let's wait for the others, the more of us there is the better of a chance we have of taking Azula down." Said Jack, looking into the swirling mess of vegetables and meat. He picked up a spoon, using it to lift a bit of the mixture to his mouth. Korin turned and dumped another load of vegetables into the mixture, missing a few this time around.

"You find anything else out? Aside from where their hiding?" She asked, turning back around. Jack stayed to her back.

"Yes, actually. Ty-Lee was kind enough to blabber about some information she had gotten from one of their informants. It seems as if someone's been spying on us this whole time." He said. Korin's knife froze all together.

"Spying on us, are you sure?" She said. Jack could hear her knuckles tighten around her knife. His hand in turn gripped the spoon a bit tighter.

"Yes, I'm sure. They already know we're in the upper ring and that we're staying here. It seems that we aren't safe anywhere." He said.

"But how, I thought you were keeping tabs on people." Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I was, but it seems they got in close, left little notes behind." The air was still, the crashing of hearts the only sound alongside raspy breath.

"What are you saying? Has one of the guards been following us?" She asked, along with the sound of the knife being set gently down on the counter top. Jack swallowed hard, placing the spoon back down. The two turned, facing one another.

"No, not a guard, someone else, someone closer." He said, staring into her eyes. She looked back at him, her large brown eyes glowing with a ferocity he had never seen before.

"What are you insinuating here, Jack?" She asked.

"Tell me, what scent is your perfume again?" He asked. Korin seemed taken back.

"What?" She responded. Jack repeated himself.

"What scent is your perfume?" Korin blinked.

"Peach." She said. Jack leaned in close, taking a deep breath.

"Yes, yes it is." He said drawing back. Korin continued to stare at him, confused.

"You know, when you go out to make a drop you should really change your perfume, or at least don't wear one at all." He said. The two sat silent for a few moments, the last moments of peace between them. Korin spun, grabbing the knife from the counter and whipping around, bringing the knife to bear at Jack's chest. Flipping around Jack grabbed the spoon and smacked the knife away. Stepping towards him Korin slashed, missing his chest by barely an inch. The two fought each other for a while, spoon and knife. Jack managed to get a few cracks in but his spoon was not doing much good, especially since her knife was chopping it to pieces. Ducking another slash Jack grabbed her by the chest, throwing her out of the kitchen back into the main room. Landing on her feet, Korin stared him down as he came out into the main room. His hands were glowing with accumulating elements, two diamond blades taking shape. One look at those sent Korin into flight. She took off outside, sprinting away with Jack in hot pursuit.

Pumping his arms up and down Jack chased her in the failing light, the streets basically empty. Korin shot mounds of earth back at him, with a skill and tenacity he had never seen. Riding himself of the diamond blades Jack crashed through the mounds, using his shoulder to bend the mounds into oblivion. Taking aim Jack let loose a few boulders at her, only to have her leap into a spinning kick and destroy them. The chase eventually led to a park with a rivulet. Using the water he grabbed Korin, shooting tentacles out at her. She fell with a cry, slamming into the ground. Breaking the tentacles she turned and faced him, apparently giving up flight.

Jack slowed down, taking his time as he approached her, wary of the knife that was still in her hands. Looking around Jack realized that he was going to have to be careful. He could not use his firebending out here unless he was willing to risk being seen, which would have guards down here in an instant. Then again with the amount of noise they were making it was likely that guards were already on their way.

Freezing for a moment Jack realized that that was her plan. She would play the helpless victim and Jack would be the terrorizing bad guy, just like she had done back in the village, only that time Azula was the bad guy and Jack was the dumb-witted soldier. She would play the guards just like she had played him. This thought enraged him. He had been played again.

Coming up to him Korin held up the knife, ready to fight. Jack came up, raising his hands, ready to fight back.

"Why'd you do it?" Asked Jack, closing in. Korin flipped a stray strand of hair away from her face, laughing callously.

"Why wouldn't I do it? The Earth-Kingdom's fighting a war they can't win, avatar or no avatar. I'm all about survival, and one key factor of survival is being on the winning side." She said, flipping the knife around in her hands. She lunged forward with a stab, following it up with a couple of boulders chucked at him. Jack blocked the stab and dodged the boulders, shooting up pillars of earth at her, clipping her on the side. Korin rolled away, bouncing back up to her feet. Coming back at him Korin erected an earthen wall, jumping feet first into it and firing it at Jack. Bringing and elbow down Jack split the earthen wall in two, just in time to see the knife heading for his chest. He fell backwards, the knife slicing into him. Pain flared through his mind as blood seeped out of his chest. Dazed he staggered back, only to have Korin on top of him, raining blows down. First he caught one on the arm, then the hand, then the torso. Soon he was a mess of slashes and cuts. Shoving Korin back with a stiff palm to the gut Jack bought himself some time, breathing in and out deeply. Korin stalked around him, laughing.

"You're pathetic, you know that? Do you know how easy it was to play you, to manipulate you? I mean, geesh, Azula told me it was going to be easy but this was a cake walk. Bat my eye lashes, play helpless, and you'd come to my rescue, disregarding how totally absurd my circumstances were. I mean, come on, how did you think I ended up running into you in the poor district, among the hundreds of thousands of people down there we run into each other, and you buy it? Man, I've played some saps before but none like you." Jack's heart was pierced with every word. It made perfect sense, everything did, it all fit together now, and in the end he was the idiot; he was the one who had been played perfectly. Everything that he had been doing was pointless, useless, trash. Korin had logged, citied, and reported everything he had ever done or thought of doing, since he was so inclined to talk to her about everything. Half of Jack just wanted to lie down right then and give up; he was tired of fighting a losing battle, tired of waging a war he would not win. However, the other half of him was enraged. He was angry that he had been played again; he was furious that Azula was going to win again, and above all he was absolutely irate that Korin had been playing on his emotions the whole time. Just when he thought that he could trust a woman again.

Korin came up to him as he sat on his knees, his head bowed low. She flipped the knife back and forth between her hands, a condescending smile on her lips.

"You know, after that fight in the camp I thought that you would be a bit harder to take down if it came to it. Azula said she wanted you alive, but you know too much now, and there's nowhere to stow you, so I guess that she won't mind if I cut your throat. I mean, I've already stabbed you in the back." She said, grabbing his hair. She pulled back his head, only to see his furious gaze. His hand flew up into her gut, a sharp stab of pain following his hand. Looking down Korin noticed the blood that was slowly tricking over Jack's hand.

Drawing his hand away Jack stood up, looking Korin in the eyes.

"Got cocky, didn't you?" He said, giving her chest a shove. She fell to the ground, clutching at her stomach as blood mixed with ash poured out. A choking sound came from her throat as she coughed up a mixture of blood and saliva. While Korin had been busy gloating over him Jack had used the time to make diamond knife which he had then put into her at an upward angle, puncturing several vital organs and deflating a lung. Looking down at Korin's shuddering form Jack realized that she was not going to survive this. His rage subsided at the sight of her helpless form on the ground, wrought with pain. She had betrayed him, but he could not help feeling that there was something real in their relationship. Bending down on a knee, he brushed her hair back gently.

"It didn't have to be like this." He said. "We could've been friends, real friends." A tear slid down his face, mingling with the blood from a cut across his cheek. Korin stared back up at him, hostility in her eyes.

"We never could have been friends." She managed, coughing up more blood. She began to shake violently, convulsing. Jack leaned in close to her.

"Was any of it real? Did you feel anything for me?" He asked, his hands shaking slightly. Korin tried to say something, but was disturbed with another fit of gurgling coughs. Eventually she managed three words.

"I…pitied you." She said, shaking violently once more before her whole body went still. Tears fell down Jack's cheeks, landing softly on Korin's cold face. He brought her up to his chest, clutching her tight. He wept softly into her, bereaved of a friend, who in the end, was never a friend.


	8. Vengence?

**Chapter VIII**

Everything was a mess. Nothing was right anymore, nothing made sense. No, that was not right. Things made sense; in fact they made more sense than ever now, but he did not want them to. They said that ignorance was bliss, well, that was true. Now that he was fully aware of what had been going on he wanted to forget, to let everything sail away, never to return, just like his other memories.

Jack clutched his head, squeezing it as he tried to keep himself calm. He had left Korin's body in the park, fleeing soon afterwards. Making his way back to the house he had cleared all traces of their presence, the only thing out of place was the new cleanness the house possessed, but they would never draw it back to him. At most Katara would figure that the King sent someone over to clean the place for them.

After that he had wondered about, finding what appeared to be a shabby looking store where he 'persuaded' the owner to help patch him up. Now he was hiding out in some park, laying in the dark, tears streaking down his cheeks as he tried to place his world back in order, but he knew that it was never going to go back to how it was, not that it was all that great to begin with, but at least it was something.

All along Korin had been playing him, acting like the helpless little girl in need of rescue only to have Jack fall for all of it, hook, line and sinker. Shaking his head he realized just how absurd it was. It was like something out of some cheesy romance novel. She had caught him stealing, he had offered reparations, she came out to find him later and thank him, then her village was 'destroyed' and her family was killed. He snorted.

More than likely those bodies had been long dead before they were planted there. The whole thing had been a setup. She had then tagged along with him, acting as if she needed him, but in reality she was just keeping an eye on him. Only one thing did not make sense, well, two things. First, why had he never caught on? And second, why in the world did Korin not just take him out while they were out and about instead of letting him cause so much havoc?

"If you call that havoc; it seemed more like patty-cake to me." Jack looked up, seeing Joshua's phantasmal form before him. Sniffling, Jack ran his arm across his nose, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Why are you crying? Because of Korin? She got what was coming to her, she didn't care about you." Said Joshua. Jack sat up straight, a bit startled by his inner self's transformation.

"And if you're crying for you then you better get over it buddy, every girl seems to double cross you, so I don't know why it's such a big surprise anymore." Said Joshua, spitting to the side. Jack blinked away his tears, trying to see if he was actually seeing this right. Joshua looked at him, a condescending glower on his face.

"What's the matter, don't like it when I'm ticked off?" Said Joshua.

"Perhaps you prefer I be someone more genteel." Said the image. With a quick shimmer the image transformed from Joshua's angry form to Katara, dressed in full water-tribe regalia, a soft look on her face.

"Is this better deary?" Said the image in a condescending tone. Jack looked away, annoyed.

"What do you want?" He said, his voice horse and scratchy. The image laughed.

"Ohh, he doesn't like this, perhaps another?" It said, shimmering out of view for a second, only to return as Azula. Jack stood up, his ire raised.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, his fists raised. Azula just laughed at him.

"Easy there, I'm not really her. Though you wouldn't be able to hurt me even if I was real, now could you?" She said. Jack turned around.

"I don't want to play this game!" He said, crossing his arms. Azula appeared in front of him, gloating and all.

"You know, counting our past relationship you'd think that you would be more considerate towards me, or have you forgotten?" She asked, a sinister glint in her eye. Jack's hands began to shake violently.

"Stop, I don't want to remember, I don't want to remember ever again! I don't want to remember anything!" He cried, throwing his fists by his side. Azula laughed, her form phasing out of view.

"Sucks to be you then." Said a voice behind him. Jack turned around, seeing Joshua before him, only he was different. Instead of the younger, jovial boy that was the usual image for his mind to use, this one was older, the age that he would be if he were to meet him. This Joshua wore no shirt, his body covered in scars; he was bald, with a sickly, pale look to him. Jagged bones stuck out of tight skin, his belly swollen from not eating. Wiry, wisps of hair hung from his scalp, his eyes sitting back in his skull, dark bags surrounding them. He looked like a ghoul or a walking corpse, not at all like an actual living human.

Jack took a step back, shocked by his appearance. The phantom merely laughed at him.

"What, you haven't thought about it? This was you only a couple of months back, what do you think it's been like for him all this time? They locked you up over here in the earth-kingdom, that means that they would have kept him over in the fire-nation, wouldn't it? Where do you think they put him, in the comfy royal dungeons right outside the capital?" Jack swallowed hard, flustered by the image. To be honest ever since he had remembered Joshua he had limited the memories, ignoring their tugging pull on him. He did not want to think of what Joshua had to endure, was enduring, but no doubt it was something horrific. Joshua, or his mind's projection of Joshua, was currently giving him the death stare.

"He sure ain't in there Jacky-boy, and I can tell you, there's only one other place with the type of security that Azula would trust, or at least use." Jack nodded his head.

"The boiling rock." He said softly, his throat in pain. Joshua smirked.

"Ya, the big bubbler. You remember that place don't you?" Jack nodded his head, distant, an unwanted memory pushing forward inside his mind.

"Let me sum it up for you here, just in case you need a bit of incentive. I am currently dead or rotting away in prison. Amy is dead. Korin, whom you thought you could trust, was a spy and is now dead, thanks to you. You have managed to do almost absolutely nothing against Azula; you have caused almost no harm and none of your plans have worked. She has been playing you since the start, the only thing she did not see coming was you being broken out of prison, and even then she took that in stride, setting everything up because she knew that you were going to go at her all alone. Does that clear things up a little?" Jack slowly nodded his head, a tear falling to the ground. Joshua looked disgusted.

"You know if I wasn't a figment of your imagination I'd slap you." A pause came after that where Joshua thought for a second. Looking at Jack he brought his own hand up and smacked himself, Jack mimicking the action with a loud smack. Joshua laughed as he fell over.

"I should have thought of that sooner, I am you!" He said, laughing. Jack picked himself up out of the dirt, brushing it off.

"Okay, whatever, I get the point. I'm a huge failure, nothing I have done or can do is ever going to make a difference. I am a complete and utter waste of oxygen, happy now?" He asked, sitting back down. Joshua clicked his tongue.

"You're missing the point here bro. It's not that you're a loser, which, granted, you are a bit of one, but it's what Azula's done. She's taken everything away from you. Heck, she's even given you fake things just so she can take them away and mess with your head. I mean, for goodness sakes look at who you're talking to!" Cried Joshua, throwing his arms out. Jack looked up, watching as his mind flashed a bunch of different images before him.

"You're so dang looney that you talk to yourself! Face it bro, she's almost won." Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Almost?" He said. Joshua smiled at him.

"Ahh, he's finally catching onto the point. Almost." Said the image, striding around.

"Now that we've taken stock of all your losses, let's take a look at your gains. You killed the snitch, which means Azula no longer knows your movements. You now Azula is here, and she does not now that you know that, though Korin's dead body might give that away. You have bait, and you have the advantage of not having a façade to maintain, unlike her, thus giving you the time you'll need to set up the trap." Jack looked up, his spirits lifted slightly.

"You know, in the past you've always tried to dissuade me from going after Azula, and now you want me to use my friends as bait?" The phantom paused, his back to Jack. Without turning he spoke.

"There's only the girl's left, and as we've learned, you can't trust em." It said. Jack nodded his head.

"So this is the play then, our game changer?" The image shook its head.

"No, this isn't a game changer, this is a game ender. When you finally spring this, there's no going back, either you die, or she does, there's no other options. No matter what or who gets in the way, she's got to die." Jack looked over at a flower, its colors obscured by the darkness.

"She has to die." He murmured. Joshua nodded.

"Yes, she has to die." Said the image, slowly fading out of view. Jack looked up at him, watching as he disappeared.

"Hopefully, this is the last time." Said the image, his feet vanishing. Jack nodded his head.

"Yes, may this be the last time." He said, turning away. The phantom vanished, carried away by some invisible wind. Jack did not bother looking back, already knowing that he would not see him again. Wiping away one final tear Jack made his way away from the park, taking back alleys that led towards the house.

His body was aching from the wounds he had received from his fight with Korin. He had attended to them as best he could, but without a proper healer they were not going to heal fast, and he could not talk to Katara, he needed her as bait. If she knew that he was here she would act differently, and Azula would notice, she always noticed, so he just dealt with the pain, suffering in silence. Besides, if he went to a professional healer he was liable to be reported to the authorities. There was dead body in a park with a bloody kitchen knife, how would it look if a man showed up at a clinic covered in wounds from what appeared to a be a kitchen knife? Ya, he did not like the thought of that, so instead he just waited, watching the house.

As the hours began to creep by his rage and despair slowly subsided, leaving him with only fatigue. He fought it off as best he could, but soon his eyes were drooping, and the next thing he knew he was asleep, dreaming of red knives and bloodied faces.

Jack awoke with a start, sitting up and looking around wildly. He felt as if someone was watching him, but when he looked around there was no one in sight. The sun was rising in the sky, signaling early morning. Looking over at the house he hoped he had not missed Katara leaving, but their appeared to be activity. A shadow walked in front of the window curtains, drawing them back to reveal Katara, in her normal regalia, hair loopies and all.

Sitting back Jack whistled, forgetting how pretty that the young waterbender was. It had been a while since he had seen her, and if he was correct she had gotten even prettier in that time, though he did not think it was possible. Shaking his head he smacked himself.

"Focus, you just got in trouble with a girl and now you're fondling over another one? You can't trust women, that's just how it goes. Especially if they're a bender, it just makes things worse." Refocusing, he watched as Katara moved about, disappearing from his view.

After a while she came out, Momo chirping on her shoulder. She looked around the streets, seeming to be searching for someone. Startled, Jack lowered his head, thinking that it was he that she was looking for. A few seconds went by with Katara looking around, but she just ended up shrugging her shoulders and moving on; whoever it was she was looking for apparently was not around, which meant that she was not looking for him.

With a sigh of relief Jack waited until she was about fifty feet away, coming out from his hiding perch to follow her. He tried to stay silent, as there was not a lot of people out and about at the moment, which meant if she turned around to look behind her he could not hide in the crowd, and having your bait see your is usually not a good thing when the bait does not realize what it is being used for.

Watching her closely as he followed, Jack imagined Azula popping out from around the corner to grab her. Perhaps it would be some diversion to a side alley where they would nab her, or perhaps it would be a smash and grab at the house later on at night, whatever it was he was going to have to be ready. The only real question that was running through his head was whether or not he wanted to take them on while they were distracted with apprehending Katara or to trail them and wait until Aang showed up to save her, and then pounce on them. Thinking on it he decided that he would let the situation dictate. If Katara was in immediate physical danger, scratch that, if she was in life threatening danger, then he would intercede, but if she was just beaten up bit and taken captive then he would hang back and wait for Aang. It would be easier taking on Azula with Aang there anyways. No offense to Katara but Aang was the better fighter out of the two, besides, Sokka might come along to create a distraction of sorts with his little boomerang. Who knows, it might be the whole group, Toph could just incase them all in earth, leaving them susceptible to a knife to the throat.

Jack froze. If the others were there could he really kill Azula? With them sitting there watching him, could he really snap her neck? Could he put a knife between her ribs or bash her skull in with them there in the fight? Their view of him would ever be marred, and more than likely they would view him as someone to watch out for, or even stop.

He shook his head. No, even if they were there he would do it. It would not mar their view of him, it would clarify it. The person they had met after the prison was not him, it was some shade, some haunting phantom from the past that had usurped his position in the present. He had outgrown the foolish views of love and mercy. War could not be won with mercy in your right hand and your weapon in the left. He had to throw those views out to the side. It was no longer about the greater good, it was just what had to be done. This was war, and he was going to act like it. If the others were shocked by his actions then it was time they opened their eyes to the harsh reality of it as well.

Ahead of him Momo perked up, turning his heads and staring at him with his bright, inquisitive eyes. The lemur-monkey began to chirp loudly in his direction, pulling at Katara's hair. Startled Jack looked for a side alley to dive behind, but there was none. Katara began to turn towards him, searching for Momo's area of interest. Thinking quick Jack leaned down, bending his head over and acting as if he was lacing his shoes, though there was actually nothing to tie.

"What is it Momo?" Asked Katara, looking around. She glanced about for a few moments, then turned back to Momo.

"I bet you miss Toph, don't you? Well, she'll be back soon enough, she's just seeing her mom right now. Come along, we've got to get to the palace, there's going to be a war meeting." With that she turned back around, making her way towards the palace off in the distance. Jack shook his head.

Why in the world would you speak aloud to an animal about what probably was a top secret war meeting in the middle of public was beyond him. It just did not make sense. Might as well put it on bulletin boards. That was something that he expected from Ty-Lee, not Katara, but then again she was still young and learning. Hopefully she would not learn it the hard way around. Then again she was about to learn that you can never trust a friend the hard way, especially one with a grudge.

Once she had set a good distance between the two of them Jack returned his tail, following her through the thickening crowds. Now that more people were about it was easier to keep on her without being spotted. If she turned about he merely blended into the crowd, as he was apt to do. Eventually she came to the palace, somewhere that he could not follow. With all the guards around and about he was not going anywhere near that thing. He needed identification papers or a high connection to get in, and he had neither. Sure, he could say that he was with Katara and get her to confirm it, but that would sort of ruin the whole point of using her as bait at a distance. If Azula spotted him with her she would know what he was up to, and thus would end this hand.

Mulling it over, Jack decided that he would wait outside for her, hopefully Azula would not grab her while she was in there; he would not put it past her to perform a kidnapping right in the heart of the earth-kingdom, at the King's very feet. It would be only too much like her to do that, and the thought disturbed him. She was going to do it while in the palace wasn't she?

The pain from his injuries brought him out of his pondering. They were aching badly, and he needed to go see a real doctor, but he just could not afford to. Neither his plan nor pride would allow him to abandon his post. He was going to sit and wait until something happened or he dropped dead.

Giving a quick prayer that it was not the second thing that happened first, he waited out the morning and afternoon in sight of the palace. He switched positions every now and again, trying to avoid unwanted attention from the guards, or any suspicious citizens. He could not afford to have a guard come over and ask him why it was that he had been sitting in plain view of the palace for over six hours, it might seem a bit fishy.

The sun was beginning to fall from the sky when she finally reemerged. She seemed a bit tired, but other than that upbeat. Whatever the generals plans had been it seemed as if they sat well with her, that, or she had no clue as to whether or not they would work and just relinquished herself form the worry of it all.

She walked down the steps, Momo still on her shoulder, chirping away. Walking past him she continued on, a note in her hand. No doubt they were the battle plans meant to be delivered to the King for his approval, and it seemed as if she just carried them out in the open, not a worry in the world, it is not like as if there were people out and about who would be willing to steal that information.

Shaking his head Jack followed after her, watching the crowds to make sure no one got the idea to nab the plans from her. Sure he was using her for bait but that did not mean he could not look out for her at the same time. The hypocrisy of that statement was not lost on him.

Katara made her way through the streets, eventually hesitating outside of a tea shop. Jack looked up at the sign. _The Jasmine Dragon_. Seemed like a quaint enough place, and the smell of the tea that came out was hauntingly delectable, and somewhat reminiscent of something.

Scratching the stubble on his chin, Jack followed warily from a distance, trying to place the thing that was out of place with the picture. He did not have to wait long though, as Katara put it together faster than he did.

She came back out at a run, making her way towards the palace. She was startled and somewhat terrified. Putting that together with the smell of tea Jack came to the conclusion that some old acquaintances of his were residing inside. Looking at where Katara was heading, he made a quick run to the entry, stealing a peek inside to confirm his suspicions.

Zuko was serving tables, a tea tray in his hand and an apron on. If Jack was not mistaken it seemed as if he was actually enjoying himself, which meant that something was severely wrong with him. He shrugged his shoulders; that was only a bonus for him. If Zuko was out of whack, it made it easier to take him out later.

Not waiting to see Iroh, as where Zuko was so was Iroh, Jack made his way back after Katara. No doubt she was going to find someone whom she could tell about the infiltration into the city, though he had known of it a long time before this, which gave him a pang of guilt. She ran straight into the palace, which, strangely enough, did not have any guards posted outside.

Following cautiously, Jack made his way inside, looking from side to side. There was no one about, not even servants; something was very wrong. The halls were quite save the sound of feet pattering against the floor, and that was only one set of feet, Katara's.

Jack picked up the pace, keeping towards the pillars in case Katara turned around and looked behind her, but she seemed to consumed with her current mission to notice the lurking figure behind her. She went up to the throne room, or at least what Jack believed was the throne room, what else would someone keep behind such massive, gaudy doors?

He followed as Katara threw the doors open, making her way towards an empty throne. Three figures sat on their knees before at, their backs to Katara. Jack took cover behind a pillar, recognizing immediately who the figures were. Another pang of guilt shot through him as he let Katara walk up to them, but he would not let himself falter, not now. He was set on achieving vengeance, and he was going to have to let Katara pay that price.

Sticking his head out, Jack watched as the Azula turned towards her. He could see the falter in Katara's steps as she realized what was going on. For a split second she hesitated, trying to decide whether or not she should stand and fight or flee. It was all the time Ty-Lee needed. When Katara made a move to action Ty-Lee was already on her, hitting a couple of nerve cluster that incapacitated her in seconds.

Jack turned back around the pillar, listening as Katara's body hit the ground with a loud thump. He could hear water dribbling on the ground; apparently she had decided to fight, but she was too slow. Besides, she did not stand a chance on her own, what could she hope to do?

"Well, that's one of them." Said Mai. Jack listened closely as the girls spoke over Katara's motionless form.

"What are we going to do with her?" Asked Ty-Lee, a bit of disdain in her voice.

"We could string her up outside, that would get the avatar's attention." Said Mai, apathetic as always. Jack could just envision her as she stared at her nails while making the comment.

"No, we'll put her in the old Ba Sin Sey cells below the city. When the avatar shows up for her he'll have nowhere to run, and his big shaggy friend can't come flying in to rescue him." Said Azula. Jack took in a deep, quiet, breath, trying to stay calm. He wanted to come around the pillar right then, right there, and end that smug princess, but he could not. He was good, but not good enough to take all three of them on at once, or at least, he was not willing to risk it. He wanted to make sure that this time around he would be the one having the last laugh, and if that meant waiting a bit longer he would have to endure it.

He listened closely as Mai and Ty-Lee picked up Katara, taking her away, down some other side passage. Azula stayed behind, or at least, that is what it seemed to him. Jack strained his ears, trying to hear her, but he could not pick anything up. He mulled it over quickly; if Azula was alone he could kill her now and free Katara, putting a stop to whatever plan she was executing at the moment. Closing his eyes he breathed deep, stepping out from around the pillar.

He was alone in the room. Looking around he concluded that Azula had left with the others. Grunting he made his way around the throne room, searching for whatever side door it was they had gone through, but there was nothing. Cracking his knuckles, Jack restarted his search, going over every inch of the throne room, searching for some way out, but he could not find anything, not even a crack in the wall. Frustrated, he took a seat on the throne, letting out an aggravated sigh. Resting his head back he let his hands fall down, where they brushed against something that felt eerily like a button.

Opening his eyes he looked down, bending over the chair to get a better look. Surely enough there was a button on the chair, with the inscription _Emergency Exit_ inscribed underneath it. Rolling his eyes he pressed it, figuring out why it was that the earth-kingdom was getting their butts kicked in this war.

A sharp crack emanated from the wall, a doorway being revealed behind him. Making his way over he looked down the passage, trying to see whether or not there was anyone waiting for him. There appeared to be no one, and he did not hear any sinister cackling from behind him, so it seemed that Azula was not waiting for him.

Even with that thought in mind Jack could not help but enter the passage in the dark, refraining from making a light. He was just too paranoid about Azula waiting for him to make use of a light, and so he instead encountered many inconvenient bumps and falls that only served to re-aggravate his injuries, which were still aching. A plus side to his situation was that he had not heard anything from other parts of his body or his subconscious mind all day, which was a win in his book.

Eventually he stumbled into a wide cavern, glowing crystal revealing old structures, crumbling and neglected. No doubt this was old Ba Sin Sey, the remains of the old capital before it had burn to the ground by one of the crazed Earth-Kingdoms Emperors, Reon, all while he was playing his tsungi horn, or at least that was how the story went. He was not so sure about the whole tsungi horn thing, but it seemed plausible.

Walking around Jack looked for a side tunnel where they could have taken her, but it seemed as if the cavern was completely empty, void of any other entrance, save if someone wanted to fall over a hundred feet down a waterfall. Where ever they had taken her she was gone now, and Jack had no clue as to where she was.

Kicking a rock he wondered around the cavern, looking at the flowing river. He looked into his reflection, shocked by what he saw. His face was cut up, long red marks running along his cheeks; brown stubble dotted his face, his sideburns growing in. His hair was a mess, thrown about with a wild look, shaggy and greasy. The most shocking thing, however, was his eyes. They sat back in his skull, dark bags surrounding them. The flashing blue had dulled, making them appear almost grey. He looked haggard, tired, and utterly defeated, and he was pretty sure he felt it. Maybe he should give it up now; he could go and rescue Katara right now, all he would have to do is give it a closer look, or wait until Azula came out again and sneak in. Then he could go and warn the others and let them deal with it.

The more he looked into the reflection the more reasonable that that line of thought sounded reasonable. He could finally get some rest. He would not be on edge at night, dreaming up nightmarish ways to end Azula, he could just let it be, let the avatar provide justice, he seemed pretty good at doing that.

As Jack was thinking these thoughts the sound of footfalls descended on him. Without a second thought he dove into the water, wrapping the water around him and fogging it as he hit the bottom. He sat there on the floor, mud seeping into his back and sucking the warmth from him. His breath became a sheet of fog, being swept away by the running water above him. Waiting he looked up, trying to hear anything, but with the water rushing over him he was deafened.

Laying still he waited for what felt like was an eternity. The air in his little water bubble began to get stale, and soon he was reusing air for breathing. He had to go up, but if he did there was no promise as to what he would find. It could be Azula, waiting for him to reemerge, or Aang trying to free Katara, though it was a bit too soon for that.

Running out of oxygen and brain power Jack decided that he would have to go up. He used his water bending to bring him up further downstream, just barely breaking the water at first to get more air. After a few moments without a cry of alarm he figured he could risk a look. Coming up out of the water he grabbed the edge, peeking his head around.

The cavern was empty, just as before. If Azula had come out from Katara's prison then he had missed it. There was no one there except him, and even then he was not fully sure if he was all the way there.

Shivering and swearing, Jack brought himself out of the water, bending the water off of himself, warmth immediately returning to him. Looking around he decided that he needed a new way to stay hidden that actually allowed him to spy out the area and anyone who walked through.

He looked over at the waterfall and decided that it was not wise. The water was not very thick, and someone might spot him behind its thin, white foam. The rocks above him, on the other hand, seemed more promising. He could make himself a cozy shell up there with some eyes holes so he could watch everything. If someone spotted his eyeballs over a hundred feet up in a mixture of rocks and crystals then good for them, he deserved to be caught, but other than that it seemed like a pretty good idea.

Moving over to the wall he scaled it, making a couple of earthen gloves to stick to the wall, allowing him to climb it like a spider-ant. Once he reached the top he encased himself in rock, leaving only a slight breathing slit and eye holes so that he could watch the cavern below. The only thing he could do now was wait, and wait, and wait.

The hours began to role by with no commotion, save the river. No one entered and no one left. Soon Jack found himself fighting just to keep his eyes open. He had figured that there was only one entrance to Katara's cell, but it seemed that there might be another. Or he might have to wait a couple of days before Aang even showed up. That thought scared him. Waiting up in the ceiling for days without food? He could always break away from his position to scavenge for food, but then he might miss something. Had his head not been encased in rock he would have shook it.

It did not matter much though, as sleep eventually overtook his troubled mind, sending him away to a place of rest. Who knows for how long he hung up there sleeping, all that he knew was that he was awakened by a thunderous crash.

Opening his eyes wide he looked down below, noticing three figures, standing off against each other. Two of them seemed to be working together, backing the third figure towards the river.

Jack identified the three quite easily as Azula, Aang, and Katara. Apparently Aang had come to rescue Katara, and Azula had been waiting for him, big surprise. However, it did not seem as if it was going well for Azula.

He watched closely as Katara and Aang pummeled against Azula, obviously holding the advantage. Azula actually seemed to be a bit put off, her attacks off kilter and her defense was not as impeccable as it usually was. She was in trouble and she knew it.

For half a second Jack thought about letting his friends deal with her; this was his chance to let it go, to let all his anger and rage disburse from him. Perhaps then he could come to peace with his past self and finally remember who he was. However, the sight of Azula down below him stirred up his bitterness. She had wronged him in too many ways to count, and if Aang won Azula would more than likely be locked up or worse she would escape.

No, he decided, he could not let it go. He was going to stop her right here and right now, whether or not Aang agreed with what he was about to do did not bother him, he was doing the world a favor.

Looking down below, Jack moved across the ceiling. The trio was so consumed with their battle that they did not even notice the figure crawling across the ceiling encased in rock. He positioned himself right behind Azula, letting go and dropping down. As he descended he quickly made a diamond knife, griping it tightly in his right hand.

Azula did not notice as he fell, but Katara sure did. A pause came in her attack as she looked up at him as he fell from the ceiling. Aang, seeing her pause, in turn looked up, titling his head sideways as he saw Jack. Azula, the last to catch on, for once, only realized to late what was happening. She tried diving out of the way, but Jack crashed behind her, sending a tidal wave of earth at her. She flew about ten feet in the air, landing on her side with a loud smack. Before she could even recover herself Jack was on her, knife in hand, pressing it against her throat.

He lifted her up by her hair, pulling hard. Turning her around he stayed to her back, putting the knife across her throat. Aang and Katara froze, stunned by what was going on.

"Didn't see that coming, now, did ya?" Said Jack, his mouth next to her ear.

"In all honesty, no, I did not. I'm guessing you put two and two together then?" Said Azula, only a slight tremor in her voice. Jack laughed.

"Yes, yes I did." He said. He punched her in the side, getting a satisfied grunt from her. Aang came up to him, his hands raised.

"Jack?" He said, obviously confused. Jack pressed the knife tighter against Azula's throat, her body tensing back as she felt the pressure.

"Stay back kid, I don't want you involved with this." He said. Katara came up beside Aang.

"Just put the knife down, we can talk about this." She said. Jack laughed. What in the world were they doing? Were they trying to negotiate for her life? The life of their enemy? They were on the same side! They should be begging him to end her right there.

"You hear these fools Azula? They want me to put my knife down so that you won't die. No wonder we're losing the war." He said with a callous laugh.

"I've been trying to tell you." Said Azula, forcing herself to calm down.

"Jack, I don't know what's happened, but you don't want to do this. Just knock her out, or bind her, you don't have to kill her." Said Aang, taking another step forward. Jack pulled Azula's head back, exposing her pale neck to his blade for everyone to see.

"Stay back Aang! I have to do this!" He was starting to lose it. His hand was shaking now, and his eyes were bouncing wildly. He could feel himself fall apart. The ambivalence, the crashing emotions, everything was just throwing him off. He did not know what was real or what was fake anymore, and the stress of the situation was just increasing his mental instability.

"You don't know, you don't know what she's done to me Aang." Said Jack, reasoning with the airbender as much as himself. Aang took another step towards him.

"Just, calm down, we can talk about this." Jack pressed the knife even tighter, making a small cut. Azula grunted, but said nothing else.

"Aang, don't make me. I will, I'm going to! So just stay away!" He cried. Aang took a step back.

"Jack, if you do this, what's the difference between us and them?" Asked Katara. Jack twitched, the logic of her argument unnerving him even more.

"I…I don't know, I…" Jack trailed off, his grip losing slightly. Azula moved in his grasp, trying something to escape, but Jack just grabbed her tighter, landing a shot to the kidneys to make her stay still.

"No! No, you're not going to change my mind! I'm going to do this!" He said, putting the knife back up against Azula's throat.

"Jack!" Cried Aang, raising a hand, but there was nothing he could do to dissuade him.

Jack drew Azula's head back, looking once into her golden eyes. For a moment there was fear there, but it flickered to that smug confidence that drove him crazy. He moved to bring the knife across her throat, envisioning the torrent of red blood that would spew out, marking her end. The hiss of liquid spraying would lull her to eternal sleep, leaving him to gloat over her carcass. However, the knife never came across.

A flaming blast hit him in the back, penetrating his left side next to his heart. He gasped for a second, the knife in his hand fluttering in his grip before it fell to the ground. His whole world began to spin as he fell to the floor. Azula's smug face danced before her eyes, even after she had turned back towards Aang and Katara.

Jack's body hit the ground hard, his head cracking against the earth. The world played in slow motion for him, loud blasts of combat becoming only dull beats. The fiery pain that had been present only a moment before had disappeared, leaving his body chill. Blackness came upon him, enveloping his vision and cocooning him in its nightmarish grasp. The last thing he saw before fading away was a face, plagued by a red scar.


End file.
